When All My Dreams Come True
by NothingCharming
Summary: Sometimes the person you dream of isn't the one standing by your side when things finally come together...so what do you do? - Brooke Centric - NOW ENDED
1. A Beautiful Lie

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN:** This story takes place after episode 6x16, everything up until this point has happened. Because OTH has such weird timing, and I can never tell whether a day has passed or a month, I'm going to make a few assumptions: Peyton is known to be around 8 weeks pregnant, Brooke and Julian have officially been together for two and a half months. Also, on the show they never really told much about Brooke's life in New York, so I am going to touch on that a bit later as well.

By the way, Chris Keller and Jake Jagielski will be in this story later, so I have taken the liberty of adding in a bit of history for them over the last few years. The two memories Brooke thinks back on in this chapter will be rehashed and explained later.

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**Chapter 1: A beautiful Lie**

"Keep your eyes closed, Giggles. You're going to ruin the surprise if you keep peeking. Trust me; you're going to love what I've got planned for you tonight."

"Oh yeah?" Brooke rolled her hazel eyes playfully, a smile playing across her luscious lips as he covered her eyes with the blood red blindfold once more and led her forward, her chocolate tresses, curled and resting in tendrils down her back, flirting with the air as she walked forward. Julian watched her intently, stunned that, even without sight, she was the most graceful woman he'd ever seen. "And to what do I owe this surprise, Mr. Sexy Producer?"

Julian leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against the shell of her ear, his natural grin in place, "Just because you're you, my beautiful, charming, and extremely breathtaking girlfriend."

Brooke smiled at his praises and let him lead her toward their destination, knowing that he must have something marvelous planned for him to be so secretive about it. When they arrived, Julian took her tiny hand in his and placed it against the handle of the door; she smiled as she realized where they were – the place where her dreams always seemed to come true…or get lost.

As they entered the room, the scent of freshly picked roses assaulted her senses, adding to her giddiness and love of surprises. She stood their silently for a few moments, just breathing in the calming scent, not asking questions or making flirty jokes, just waiting.

Julian turned her small frame toward him and placed a gentle kiss on her lips but pulled back before Brooke could deepen the kiss, smirking at the slight pout on her lips. She frowned at the loss of physical contact but smiled when she felt him take a step behind her, his fingers barely brushing the back of her neck, "Prepare to be astonished, Brooke Davis." And with those words, he removed the blindfold.

"Oh my god…" Brooke felt tears spring to her eyes immediately at what lay before her, and she whispered her next words, confusion and excitement burning within her gaze, "You did this for me?"

They were standing in the middle of her store, or rather her former store and current 'work in progress', surrounded by hundreds of rose petals, and in the left corner of the room, near the window, an ornate table covered in all her favorite foods and desserts laid in the glow of candle light. On further inspection she realized that all of her sketches and costumes for the movie had been removed, and the only lights in the store were from strategically placed candles, reds and purples that shined throughout the room in a radiant glow. And for a second, the awareness that she was standing in the dark in the very place where her final layer of innocence was stripped away had her feeling numb and terrified.

Julian seemed to sense her discomfort immediately, and he tilted his head as he placed a kiss on the knuckles of her left hand, running his fingertips along the silky skin of her hand. Brooke smiled then, knowing that she was completely safe with him, that he would never let something bad happen to her.

_I'm safe. I'm safe. He'll protect me. _

She looked around at Julian's handiwork as she released a quiet, calming breath, the look of shock mixing with one of pleasure as her eyes traced the over-elaborate, but shockingly sweet, memorable room before her, and wondering just what it was that made Julian do all of this for her. What reason did he have to do something like this for her? There had to be one, right?

"How did you manage to do all this?" she asked him, her eyes filled to the brim with tears of joy, "This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me." And for just one moment, she let her mind wander to some of her more idealistic moments, moments of romance and love and friendship. She remembered fighting in the rain with Lucas Scott, her first of six real dates with Chris Keller in New York, and the first time she allowed herself to kiss Jake Jagielski without regret, though she would never have mentioned any of these memories to the man before her…or to anyone else really.

Julian smiled at her, his self-satisfied grin taking over his entire face, "A man never reveals his secret talents…or secret helpers."

Brooke giggled at his answer, her dimples popping more in that moment than he had ever seen before, a sight which would never leave his memory, one he would cherish for as long as he was able to keep her in his life. "Shall we eat?" he asked her softly, as he took her hand again.

Brooke looked at Julian for a moment in a way that made him feel as if she could see through every defense he'd ever built, and, for a moment, neither of them spoke; they merely stared into one another's eyes, him thinking about how his words and actions tonight were going to change things forever, no matter the outcome, and her wondering if she had finally found someone she could give her whole heart to, or if she would be let down by yet another man, another lie.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_"The __bad guys lie to get_ _into_ _your bed_; _the good_ _guys lie to get into_ _your__ heart."_

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Brooke's eyes softened slightly, a little ashamed of where her mind was taking her on this special night, and she looked down at the wonderful food before her, "Yes, let's eat. It all looks delicious. You already know me so well."

_Better than almost anyone._

For nearly two uninterrupted hours they sat there, eating their food and drinking their wine, telling stories from their childhoods and teenage years, though Brooke avoided much of her memories from junior year of high school up to this point in time, not ready for Julian to know the details Lucas left out of his book or the details that Brooke herself had avoided telling anyone save Haley. And altogether they enjoyed each other's company, learning things they'd previously not known, like life dreams and biggest fears. But as the night drew to its inevitable end and the candles began burning out, Julian found himself wanting to chicken out and run away from this whole situation. Though he had convinced himself that he could handle any outcome, the fear that he now felt dwelling in his soul was squishing that confidence until all that was left was the pounding of his heart against the silence in his mind. He watched her carefree expression, wondering how someone with so much baggage could keep such a bright smile on her face at all times, and he wondered if he could be like that…just shrug this moment off if it ended in an undesirable manner. _No_, he thought as he gazed at her, _I can't._

"Brooke," he said softly, standing with such slowness that she felt a twinge of nervousness grow within her stomach, "I haven't been completely honest with you about what this night means…" She frowned, suddenly worried about the next words that would escape his chapped lips, terrified he was about to prove her theory about men right: they always let you down, "The truth is, there's something about you, the way you yell at me when I'm acting like an ass and the way you take care of Sam like a mother would despite the fact that she's only a few years younger than you, that makes me feel like the world has a purpose, that **I** have a purpose. The truth is, Brooke, I am completely and irrevocably in love with you. And there's no going back from that. Ever."

Brooke's breath hitched in her throat and she lifted her dainty hand out toward him as if to silence his words, eyes confused and worried, "J…Julian? I…I…"

Julian hurriedly shook his head at her, bringing her stuttering words to a close, not knowing what she was about to say, but unwilling to let her finish at the risk that he may lose his nerve if she spoke, "Don't say anything, not until I'm finished."

She nodded, though she looked as if she would pass out at any second, "Okay." She swallowed the lump her in her throat, taking in every nervous twitch her boyfriend was exuding and wishing he would just come out with it already, his nervousness scaring her.

"When I was with Peyton," Brooke looked down at that, unable to listen to another man talk about his love for Peyton Sawyer, best friend and expert heartbreaker as Brooke has since silently dubbed her, "Brooke, look at me." She hesitated but did as he asked, her hands shaking slightly in hurt and fear.

_Please don't say you still love her.._

"When I was with Peyton, I found myself falling in love for the first time, and I was scared, no…I was completely terrified. And when I ended things with her that night in LA, I thought I would never love again because those feelings were so intense and wonderful, but as I look into your eyes now, I really see you, and I realize that what she and I had doesn't even begin to compare. I know the truth now…You're the one for me."

Julian knelt to the ground, looking more like a scared little boy than a grown man, and pulled a small black box from his jacket pocket. Brooke's hazel eyes, a shade of green in that moment, widened even more, and tears sprang to her eyes as she focused in on that tiny box, finally understanding what tonight had meant to him. Finally understanding what tonight meant for **them**, either a beginning…or an end.

_Oh god.._

"I know that we haven't been together for very long, and this may all seem a bit rushed to you, but I've never felt this way before. You're the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the morning and the last thing on my mind before I go to bed. The thing is, Brooke, I'm supposed to go back to Los Angeles once the movie is finished, but I don't want to go back without you. In these last few months, you have become my family, so I want you to come with me when I leave. You and Sam." Julian smiled up at her and opened the box to reveal an ornate gold ring with two yellow diamonds on either side of the large white stone in the center. "Brooke Penelope Davis, will you marry me?"

**TBC...**

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**AN:** Please, please, please review. I've only written a few fanfictions before and since no one seemed into them I deleted them. Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated, but please no flames. Thanks!


	2. Listen To Your Heart

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **I'm going to put memories or flashbacks in italics.

By the way, thanks for the reviews guys and also for adding the story to your alerts! You are amazing! I want to give a special thanks to: Sammagfunk, brulian equals forbidden love, ashstalker, and Kimberlli. Your kind words were really appreciated.

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**Chapter 2: Listen To Your Heart**

"_Brooke Penelope Davis, will you marry me?"_

Julian looked up at her expectantly, fear shining in his deep brown eyes, unaware that at that moment she was lost in a sea of memories.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"_I'm going to marry you someday, Brooke Penelope Davis. Right on this very spot.." He pulled a small plastic ring that he'd gotten out of a vending machine from his pocket and slipped it onto her left ring finger._

_Brooke giggled, "Psh. What makes you think I'd ever want to marry a guy like you, Chris Keller?"_

"_Well, how about the fact that you're now wearing The Keller's ring? You know, it's not everyday that I give a beautiful girl a ring and ask her to marry me. It must mean you're special or something."_

_Brooke laughed and glanced down at her ring finger, "Well thank you. It's a very…unique ring."_

_Chris stood up, chuckling, and reached down to take her hands. Brooke smiled her dimpled smile and let him pull her into a standing position. For a split second it seemed as if they were in a trance; their eyes locked and neither moved, as if afraid to ruin the moment. Chris was the first to move; he reached out, his fingers barely grazing her cheek. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting herself be reeled in by his actions. _

_Brooke moaned softly and pressed herself closer to him; he smiled and turned his head slowly, barely touching her ear with his lips, "Don't lie to yourself, Brookie. You know you think I'm sexy."_

"_Haha." And just like that, the spell was broken, "Don't lie to __**yourself**__,____Keller. I was just playing along with your ridiculous game. I so don't want you."_

_She pulled away, her candid smirk challenging him to refute her._

"_Well, if you don't want me," he took a few steps back, "then I guess I'm just gonna have to go home and cry myself to sleep." _

_Chris sniffled, clearly acting, and turned to walk away._

"_Hey, Keller." Chris turned back around to find Brooke standing only a few centimeters away from him, "As far as first dates go, this wasn't half bad." She smirked at him again and leaned forward, placing a kiss on his right cheek, "And hey, maybe if you're lucky I really will be Mrs. Keller someday." She winked, "Who knows?"_

_His eyes widened, "Wh…what? I was just kidding! The Keller doesn't do weddings!"_

_Brooke laughed and shook her head, "So was I. The Davis doesn't do weddings either…" She frowned slightly, her eyes sad, "At least not her own."_

_Chris smiled, "I had a good time, Davis. When's our next date?" _

_He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers for just a moment; Brooke laughed and rolled her eyes, tilting her head up at him, "What makes you think you're getting a second date, handsome?" _

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

"Brooke? This whole you not answering my proposal thing isn't doing my ego any favors." Julian laughed, though it sounded forced and scared.

Brooke shook her head, releasing her mind from her silly thoughts. She looked down at the panicked face of her boyfriend of just two and a half months and sighed, "Julian, I…I'm not…I mean…Argh! I don't know what to say."

"Well, yes would be a good start."

Brooke stood up from the table, her legs shaking, and reached down for Julian's hand, "Come here." He stood, towering over her slightly, "When I first saw you, to be honest, I couldn't stand you." They both laughed, knowing the truth in her words, "You were everything I wasn't supposed to want; you were exceedingly charming, maybe too much so, you were Peyton's ex, which completely contradicts the girl code, and you had that grin, the grin that makes my insides turn to goo. But I think I knew even then that there was going to be something between us, I just didn't want to admit it to myself."

Julian smiled and opened his mouth to speak, "Not yet," Brooke whispered, "Hear me out first."

He nodded, suddenly feeling much more secure about what her answer would be.

"Julian Baker, my heart melts every time you enter the room, and just the thought of you leaving breaks my heart, but my life is in Tree Hill; Sam's life is in Tree Hill. I can't just pack up and leave. This is our home; the only place that has ever felt like home to me."

Julian shook his head, looking frustrated, "Then I'll move here. I love you, Brooke, and you know I adore Sam." He removed the engagement ring from the small black box, his hands shaking slightly, "You're the one for me; I'd go to the ends of the earth for you." He took her left hand into his and slid the ring onto her ring finger. "Be my wife."

Brooke looked down at the ring, tears in her eyes, "In all the time that I've known you, you've told me how you've spent your entire life trying to be the best producer, trying to prove to your father that you have worth. I can't and I **won't** be the girl who holds you back from your dreams. You'd grow to resent me," he shook his head, trying his best to counter her argument, "Yes, you would, and then I'd grow to resent you for it; there would be this endless cycle of hate and resentment, and I don't think that I handle much more hate in my life." She hesitated, starting to lose her bearings, "I have all these feelings, clawing at me, begging me to ask you to stay for me, begging me to say yes, but I can't. I can't marry you…I'm sorry."

Tears started tracing their way down Brooke's pail face as she slid the small ring off. Julian's jaw dropped in shock and tears welled in his eyes as well, "Brooke…"

She placed the engagement ring in his open hand, "I could have easily fallen for you, Julian Baker; I'm just not ready, and neither are you."

Tears started falling down his face, slowly, one at a time, and Brooke turned away, unable to watch the man for whom she was falling fall apart. Brooke sniffled as she tried to hold back her own tears and started walking toward the door.

"Where does this leave us?"

Brooke turned her head, looking at him from the corner of her eye, "I don't know. Maybe we should just…"

"…Call it quits?"

Brooke's breath caught in her throat as the words escaped his mouth, "Maybe that would be best?" Her words becoming more and more slurred as she tried not to cry, "For everyone."

Julian looked at her, pain and anger evident on his face, "You should have said yes. We could have been happy together." This last part was merely whispered.

"I know."

As she stepped through the door to exit, she noticed how gray and gloomy the sky suddenly looked, and as the first drop of rain hit her, she let out her first sob. She turned back around, the rain beginning to fall harder and faster, and watched as Julian collapsed onto one of the chairs. He lowered his head and as each sob wracked his body, his shoulders shook with his effort to breath.

Brooke took one last look at Julian as she stepped further into the rain, "You're right, Julian Baker, I probably should have said yes…I just don't know if you're the one..."

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**AN**: As always, please review. I'm so glad that there are people out there who actually enjoy this story – thanks so much guys. And I am soooo sorry to anyone who wanted her to say yes! I promise though, there will be more Brulian, along with several other ships! 

Oh and by the way, I'd love to hear your opinions on the Brooke/Chris date. Were they too out of character? I tried to make them both authentic, but I also wanted to show that Chris had grown up some and was no longer just that stupid little boy who chased after what he couldn't have. I tried to show that even though they were on a date, they were more like friends than lovers. Hope that came across right?


	3. Leaving Town Alive

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

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**Chapter 3: Leaving Town Alive**

Brooke sat there, days later, in Haley's kitchen drinking her coffee and avoiding the subject of her semi-breakup with Julian. The truth was, every time she thought of that night, the way his eyes had looked so betrayed and broken, she found it nearly impossible to keep herself calm.

"So," Haley began softly, "are you going to tell me what happened on your date the other night that's got you all depressed?" Brooke shook her head at Haley, tears entering her eyes again, "Aww, Honey," Haley whispered, getting up and wrapping her arms tightly around Brooke. "Did you two have a fight or something?"

Brooke pulled back from the hug, wiping the tears from her eyes and looked at Haley hesitantly. Brooke's gaze dropped to the floor and she sighed quietly, "He um…he sort of asked me to marry him."

Haley's eyes widened, though it was clear to Brooke that she was attempting to be supportive. "Sort of?"

Brooke shrugged, trying to seem unaffected by the whole thing, "Or you know…not sort of."

Haley looked over at Brooke with a mixture of disbelief and excitement, and just the slightest bit of guilt on her face. "Oh my god, Brooke! Well, what did you say?"

Brooke looked back at Haley in a way that could only be described as one of regret and sadness, "I turned him down, Hales…I just…I don't know if he's the one. I could easily have fallen for him, I know that now, but my heart belongs to…my heart just doesn't belong to him yet, you know? And, on top of that, his life is in LA, mine's here."

Haley nodded for a second but then seemed to realize what Brooke said, "Wait, you said, 'my heart belongs to…' Who does your heart belong to, Brooke?"

Brooke face filled with shock for a second, but she hastily laughed it off and rolled her eyes, "You must have misheard me. I just said that my heart doesn't belong to **him**…You know what's really strange though?" she asked, attempting to change the subject slightly. "When he got down on one knee, my mind immediately went to my first date with Chris."

Haley laughed at that, having been filled in when Brooke first moved back home about her strange history with the infamous rock star, "Ahh, so The Keller owns your heart, huh? Haha. I never thought you would stoop so low, Tigger."

Brooke playfully glared at Haley, picked up the thing closest to her, which just happened to be a spoon, and tossed it at her, "That is so not funny, Haley James Scott!" Both girls laughed and leaned back in their chairs. "I only brought it up because it was just a really strange time to think of it, you know? I mean there Julian was, down on one knee, asking me to be his wife," Brooke sighed as the word 'wife' left her lips, "and my mind switches to Keller giving me that silly plastic ring."

"You know, maybe the reason you thought of Chris in that moment was because of how close the two of you used to be. I mean, he really took care of you when you needed it, and the fact that the two of you never really got serious when you dated doesn't change that; he loved you. Plus, you were probably so panicked that your mind tried to replace that scary, serious moment with something childlike and innocent; something that reminded you of youth and silly friendships." Brooke nodded slightly as if to say 'maybe.' "I hate to ask, especially since you're still so down about the whole thing, but what are you gonna do?"

Brooke looked at Haley helplessly and sighed again, "Shoot myself?"

"Brooke!" Haley tossed the spoon back at her, her face playful and serious all at the same time.

"Kidding, kidding," Brooke smiled to herself despite the situation, "And thanks, by the way."

Haley frowned and looked at Brooke like she was crazy, "For?"

"For being my best friend. It's hard, trying to talk to Peyton about this stuff. I just keep thinking about how she and Julian were 'in love' and it makes me feel all sick and jealous, and then I start thinking about how I used to be in love with her fiancé, so…" Brooke paused with a roll of her eyes, "I suppose we're even."

Haley smiled, "You know you can come to me with anything. I love you, Tigger."

"I love you too, Tutormom." Brooke smiled at Haley then began looking around the room for something to distract herself with. On the wall directly behind Haley was a picture of Nathan and Haley the night of their wedding reception; thinking about that night was still able to make Brooke both happy and sad, "So, how's the hubby?"

Haley smiled and pointed behind Brooke, "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Brooke grinned and jumped up from her chair, running over to where Nathan was standing. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek, "Well, hello Hubby Scott. How are you?"

Nathan laughed and hugged her back, "To be honest, my life is beyond good at the moment; I have my basketball career again, a great son, and the most beautiful wife anyone could ask for."

Brooke sat back down next to Haley, "Aww. Aren't you just Mr. Perfect?"

"So are you gonna tell me why you look all gloomy today, Davis, or do I have to guess?" he asked her as he sat down.

Brooke opened her mouth to answer but couldn't find the words to describe just how messed up her life had gotten in just a few short days, so Haley took the liberty to do just that with a few simple words, "Julian proposed to her the other night."

Nate's jaw dropped and his eyes grew large and bulbous, and Brooke figured that if she wasn't so freaked about the whole situation, she probably would have laughed at his fish impersonation, but she instead opted to look down, feeling oddly ashamed of the whole thing. Both Haley and Brooke were so enthralled by Nate's reaction to the big news that neither of them even heard the little boy approach until he spoke.

"Aunt Brooke, if that man proposed to you, does that mean you're getting married like Uncle Lucas and Aunt Peyton?"

Brooke and Haley looked down at Jamie, not knowing how to explain the situation to the intelligent child, while Nathan, who had missed the entire first half of the conversation, looked just as curious and confused as Jamie, "Um…well…No, honey, I don't think I am, at least not right now," Brooke said softly, "I uh…I said no."

Jamie frowned slightly, his head tilted to the side. Brooke smiled at him lovingly and reached down and pulled him into her arms, setting him on her lap. Jamie hugged her tightly and whispered barely loud enough for all three adults to hear, "I wish Aunt Peyton had said no."

Haley choked on her coffee and looked down at him in shock, "Why would you say something like that, JimmiJam? Don't you want your Uncle Lucas to be happy?"

"Well, I think Aunt Brooke and Uncle Lucas should get married; they make each other happy, and they're my godparents." He said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "And Aunt Peyton is nice, but she's not as cool as Aunt Brooke. She plays lame games and is boring. When she babysat Andre and me, she treated us like we were babies; Aunt Brooke talks to me like I'm a person." Haley looked at her son in complete shock, while Nathan was trying his hardest not to laugh. Brooke, on the other hand, looked almost touched by Jamie's insightfully sweet words. "I mean, Uncle Lucas has already seen what's under all the clothes, so you don't have to worry about that, Aunt Brooke, not like you did with Owen."

At that, Nathan was no longer able to hold in his laughter, and Brooke's face lit up a bright shade of red. Haley shook her head at her husband, smacking his arm lightly, and gave him a look that clearly meant 'shut up or die', "Jamie, honey, why don't you run upstairs and get dressed. I'll make you some cereal."

Jamie nodded and ran up the stares, leaving the three best friends to sit in awkward silence. Nathan smiled at Brooke innocently, "You know, if you didn't 'talk to him like a person' he wouldn't have said that."

Brooke pouted and stuck her tongue out at Nathan, "You suck."

Nathan just laughed, "Love you too B. Davis."

Brooke rolled her eyes and started walking toward the door, "Call me later, 'kay? I really need some Naley advice right about now."

Haley and Nathan both nodded, their lips twitching with silent laughter again.

"Well," said Nathan smugly, "You owe me 20 bucks. I told you he was gonna propose."

Haley glared playfully at her husband but handed him the money anyway, "It's not even like you really won anything; I mean, I got the money out of **your **wallet."

Nathan laughed, leaning to down to kiss his wife, "You know what's funny?" Haley shook her head, confused, "When Brooke made that comment, when I was walking in, about how she **used** to be in love with Lucas, I almost believed her."

"What? No, no, no. Brooke doesn't still love Lucas; the _Bermuda Triangle of_ _Death_ is over! Brooke made that very clear."

Nathan smirked at his wife and rolled his eyes, "Just because she said it doesn't mean it's true. I mean think about it, Lucas said in his book that he would always be in love with Peyton Sawyer, but he was ready to marry Lindsey."

"But he didn't marry Lindsey," Haley said, shaking her head.

"Because Lindsey walked away. I'm telling you, Hales, Lucas Scott and Brooke Davis are meant to be. I don't think either of them ever truly moved on."

Haley rolled her eyes at her husband, thinking that he had to be clinically insane. Nathan laughed and leaned in for another kiss, neither of them noticing the cute little blonde boy standing behind them, his smile mischievous.

TBC…

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**AN**: Thanks for the reviews, and before anyone asks, yes, Jamie is going to try to get his godparents together, but I don't know yet if it's going to work. Lol. I'm only like one chapter ahead.

Next chapter, Brooke and Julian talk a few things out.


	4. White Horse

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **I am sooo sorry that I deleted this chapter before, but I just decided that I didn't like how things went down with Brooke and Peyton, so I needed to write a completely different ending for this chapter. Sorry guys.

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**Chapter 4: White Horse**

Nearly twenty minutes after speaking to Nathan and Haley about the botched proposal, Brooke found herself back in her store, the place she had come to view as both her sanctuary and her Hell. Brooke's eyes grew huge when she opened the glass door and stepped inside; all the clothes for the movie and all her sketches were back to their rightful places. When she'd visited the store the day before, there were still rose petals littering the floor and the little table Julian had decorated for her still sat in the corner of the room, and she had been unable to stay in the room for very long without breaking down, but as she stared around the room now, it was as if the whole ordeal had never happened. Tears formed behind her eyelids as she thought of that night; she could almost still smell the roses he had scattered throughout the room, and she could almost still taste the wine on his lips when they'd kissed. Brooke opened her eyes and looked around the room one more time before heading over to the counter to get started on her new line, but as soon as she reached the counter, her eyes fell upon the small black box that held the dream ring she had received from her dream guy; sometime during the previous night Julian must have placed the box there, right on top of her sketches, in plain view. She stopped breathing for a second, her heart racing painfully in her chest, as she reached over and picked up the box. Her hands were shaking, and it took her several tries, but she finally managed to get the box open, and there it was – her engagement ring. Brooke smiled as she stared at the two small, yellow stones and the large white diamond that laid in the center; Julian knew her so well.

"I knew you would like it."

Brooke turned toward Julian, tears in her eyes, "You know me better than I know myself sometimes."

Julian didn't smile, but he didn't quite frown either; there was something darker about his eyes as he walked toward that frightened her slightly, "About a week ago I asked Sam if she would be okay with me asking you to be my wife." Brooke looked down at the ring, and he reached his hand toward her, wiping a stray tear off her cheek, "She told me that not only would she be okay with it, but she had been hoping for something like that since we started dating." He laughed slightly, "She said that I had helped fix some of your issues with men, and she also said that she trusted me with your heart."

Brooke laughed through her tears, thinking about how Sam absolutely loved Julian despite the fact that he always called her on her crap; in fact, they had become best friends.

"And I told her," Julian said softly, "that once you were my wife, the three of us would be the perfect, albeit dysfunctional, family." Brooke smiled and leaned her cheek against his open palm. "I understand your fears and your reasons for saying no, but I honestly can't imagine my life without you, Brooke. I don't know how anyone in this world who hasn't had the opportunity to meet you is happy; you are the biggest and most important thing in my world now. I know that you don't want to leave Tree Hill, and you don't want to be the reason that I leave Los Angeles, but shouldn't that be my decision to make? I want to be with you, and if this sleepy little town is where you want to start a family and live out your days, then this sleepy little town is where **I** want to start a family and live out **my** days as well. You're the one."

One side of Brooke wanted to laugh joyously because someone loved her enough to be willing to give up everything for her, but, the other side of her, the selfless side, wanted to cry because she couldn't keep him; she couldn't be the girl that stole his dreams from him, "What about your career, Julian? Do you honestly think you're going to be able to be a successful producer while living in this 'sleepy little town' as you called it?"

Julian leaned forward and placed a kiss on Brooke's forehead. She half smiled and he lowered his head, their foreheads faintly touching, "Well, if I'm as good of a producer as I think I am, then I should be able to produce anywhere." Brooke smiled and rolled her eyes at the size of his ego. "And sure, I'd probably still have to take trips to LA for business, but you and I both know that you'll have to take trips to New York once your new line is up and running." Brooke nodded at that and turned her head to kiss the palm of his hand, "So, you and I will just have to schedule our trips around each other; face it, Brooke, we'll be the ultimate power couple."

As soon as the words 'power couple' left his mouth, Brooke's mind went back to that fateful night in New York when she'd finally made the decision to work with Victoria.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"_Can I give you two a ride?" _

_Lucas smiled at Brooke, looking as young and innocent as he had the night they'd met, and they both shrugged, "Why not? It is our engagement night."_

_The carriage owner smiled and looked over at Brooke, "In that case, the ride's free."_

_Brooke grinned, looking slightly like the Cheshire Cat, at Lucas and whispered loudly, "A diamond ring is gold!"_

_XxXxXxXxXxX_

_Later, having ridden in the carriage for several blocks, the carriage owner smiled at Brooke and Lucas, "So, what do you two have planned for your life together?"_

_Brooke smiled, remembering the many times that she had thought about her future as Mrs. Lucas Scott. Her eyes were wistful, and the words rolled easily off of her tongue, "Um, we're going to be a power couple. He's going to be a famous novelist, and I'm going to have a fabulous fashion line."_

_Lucas smiled at her, he too remembered the dreams they used to share, "But we're still going to have time to have a big family."_

_"Two boys and a girl." Brooke smiled._

_"And I'll coach little league." _

_Brooke clapped her hands excitedly, "Ooh and I'll bake treats for the team," Lucas gave her a look of disbelief, "…Or buy them."_

_Luke laughed, his hand on her knee, "Then we'll spend our summers in our beach house."_

_"And winters in the south of France."_

_Lucas smiled at Brooke, "It won't matter where we are as long as we're together."_

_The carriage owner smiled reflectively, remembering his own first love, __**"That's the key. Success is wonderful, but finding someone to love and having them love you back…Love is what it's all about."**_

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Think about it, Brooke. You'll be the famous fashion designer, I'll be the amazingly sexy producer," Brooke laughed at that, "and Sam will be our extremely talented screenwriting daughter."

Brooke's laughter stopped and she stared at Julian, suddenly serious again, "Our daughter?"

Julian nodded and rubbed his nose against hers, "Yes, our daughter. Blood doesn't matter, Brooke, and neither does age. You protect her like she's your own flesh and blood, you **are** her mother, and someday soon I hope to have earned the role of father."

"Julian…" Brooke smiled, "I love you."

"I love you too, Giggles."

"But…" Brooke began, "I don't know if I'm ready to get married. I want to know everything about you before you become my husband. Everything."

Julian looked hurt for a moment, but he smiled anyway, "Then you will know every dirty detail about me and me about you." He took the box from Brooke's hand and slipped it into his pocket, still smiling.

TBC…

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**AN**: As I said before, I am really sorry that I deleted this, but I think I know a better way to introduce Peyton and Lucas to the idea of Brulian committing. Thanks, as always! Next update should be in the next few days. 


	5. Between The Lines

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **Brooke's memory is completely made up, but it's necessary for the story later.

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**Chapter 5: Between The Lines**

Peyton groaned at the sound of her cell phone ringing, _Crazy Bitch_ blaring through the small speaker, and she smiled as she reached over and hit the talk button, "Hey, best friend. Don't you think it's a little early to be calling the poor, tired pregnant woman?"

Brooke erupted with laughter and Peyton could almost see her friend's contagious smile, "First of all, Peyton **Marie **Sawyer, it's 10:27 AM. Secondly, 'poor, tired pregnant woman,' really?" Peyton burst into laughter at Brooke's mocking tone, "I'm not buying it P. Sawyer – soon to be P. Scott." Peyton rolled her eyes with a slight smile, imagining that she could actually see her best friend's eyebrow rise in true Brooke Davis fashion. "In a few months you will gain complete use of the pregnancy card, but until then, you're just another whiney girl with a 'damsel in distress' complex…" The laughter in Brooke's voice died, and for a second neither girl spoke, each lost in her own thoughts.

Peyton frowned, her mind quickly calling upon recycled images of both her mothers, Anna and Elizabeth, and the way they died; of Ian, the man whose obsession with the former cheerleader was ultimately his downfall, as well as hers; and of Jimmy, the victim in the guise of a villain, whose pain continued to grow until it spilled over in the form of a school shooting.

Brooke's eyes glazed over slightly as several of her harshest realities came crashing down around her; the reason she had originally called Peyton completely forgotten.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**

_Brooke tilted her head, the muscles in her neck aching painfully, and slowly sank to her knees before the small tombstone. If she looked to her right, she could see row after row of stones, each in different shapes and sizes, but each and every one had a common meaning; death. To her left, more rows of stones laid, and yet she only saw one. Tears of anger and hate filled her tear ducts, but she didn't let them fall; even as she read the name "Dan Scott," she held her tears at bay. _

_It had only be two days since 'Clothes Over Bros' was robbed, and the bruises had yet to fade from the face that once signified pure beauty and love. Her eyes were nearly swelled completely shut, and the cut on her lip had grown worse from her constantly gnawing on it. Her entire body still ached with every movement, and it took all that she had within her to keep from falling apart because she wouldn't allow herself to cry; she __**couldn't**__. Until that morning she had refused to look at herself in the mirror, the handprints on her arms and legs, coupled with the horrible splotches on her stomach and thighs, made it too clear to her that what she would see staring back at her would not be the girl she had seen mere days before. After she had finally gotten the courage to look at herself, she noticed that the usually bright and vibrant color of her eyes seemed darker, and she couldn't help but wonder if her ability to love died the day her innocence did._

_Brooke looked away from Dan's grave, knowing that as much as she hated him and that as much as she wished that she could pretend it was he that lied in this shallow grave, it wasn't. Staring straight ahead, her eyes filled with tears again, tears of loss and grief, and she dropped her head, unable to stare at Keith's grave any longer._

"_I don't know what to do anymore, Keith." Her voice broke and she found herself staring at his name on the stone, picturing his wedding to Karen and her own wedding, him giving her away to the man she loved, "In the short time that you were here, when I was off getting Lucas drunk and tattooed, I began to see you as a father, and my entire world broke when you left. Keith, it's breaking again…but this time, it's me that's dead."_

_Silence. _

"_I can still feel pain and loss and hate, but I feel numb to everything else. Angie's gone, and I hate them for taking her from me; God, I loved her so much. And Peyton and Lucas are engaged; the girl I love is finally marrying the boy I love, and I don't feel an ounce of happiness for them." Her eyes were downcast, and her voice dipped to nothing but a whisper, "I hate them…for being together, and for being happy. I know that's wrong, but I don't know how to not feel this way."_

_The sound of footsteps approaching caught Brooke's attention; her entire body froze, fear eating away at her, leaving her numb and immobile. She jumped and wrapped her arms tightly around her knees as the steps got nearer to her. The person stopped walking, and Brooke turned her eyes toward him, and her resolve broke, as did the dam that held her tears in place._

"_Jake?" _

_The tears fell down her cheeks, warming them, as he scooped her into his arms, "I came as soon as I got your call, Brooke. I'll stay as long as you need me."_

_Brooke's entire body shook with her sobs and she clung to Jake as if her life depended on it, and in some small way, it did. He stood there, holding her in his arms for what felt like hours, sometimes crying with her, other times merely letting her cry._

_After a while, her sobs turned into whimpers, and then were gone altogether. Jake sat back down where she'd been sitting when he arrived and lowered himself to the ground as well, "Have you been to see the police?"_

_Brooke looked at him for a minute as if she had forgotten he was there, "No," she shook her head, "The press would eat this stuff up, and um…I don't think I could handle all the paparazzi." Her voice was colder than he'd ever heard it, and it pained him to see her so broken, "You can go home, Jake. I shouldn't have called."_

"_I'm not going home until you want me to go home. __**You**__ are my biggest concern right now."_

_Brooke shook her head and stood up, "Go home, Jake. It's what I want."_

_They stared at each other for what felt like minutes before he nodded and started walking toward his car. Jake stopped and turned his head toward her, "Brooke…I still…"_

_She smiled, her lip beginning to ache, "I know."_

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Peyton pulled herself out of her depressing thoughts and whined playfully, "But, Brookie, I'm still soooo tired."

Brooke laughed humorlessly and brought her hand to her right cheek, picturing every bruise the way it was the day she last saw Jake Jagielski.

Peyton grinned and sat up in the bed she shared with Lucas, who at this moment in time was at Tric discussing the ending of his movie with Reese the eccentric director who seemed to have some crazy vision for every scene in the movie, "So, miss Davis, not that I mind getting a call from my best friend, but did you need something?"

Brooke frowned, unsure of how to breech the subject of Julian's proposal, "I need some advice, but I'm not really sure how to bring it up."

Peyton frowned at the serious tone in her friend's voice, "You can tell me anything; you should know that."

"Um, okay. Well, Julian asked me to marry him the other night," Brooke exhaled sharply, waiting for some sort of reaction. When none came, she began to worry, "Peyt, you there?"

Peyton blinked repeatedly, something akin to grief filling her heart, much to her confusion, "Yeah, I'm still here…Wow. That's…that's great, Brooke."

Brooke frowned, noticing the strange way that her best friend spoke, "Actually, I told him I couldn't…Peyt, do you think I made the right decision?"

"Yeah, I think you did." Brooke frowned at Peyton's short and concise answer, "You can't rush things like marriage, Brooke."

Brooke's eyes widened and a laugh broke through her lips, shocking both Peyton and herself.

Peyton frowned, confusion marring her brow, "Did you just laugh at me?"

"I'm sorry; it's just…never mind."

Peyton shook her head, suddenly angry at the dismissive tone in her friend's voice, "No. Tell me; why was that funny."

Brooke frowned and rolled her eyes, "You just told me that 'you can't rush things like marriage.'"

"Yeah, and?"

"Well look at yourself, Peyton. You're engaged to Lucas; in fact, you got engaged to Lucas two days after he told you he hated you and you ruined his life. Have you two even talked about all the stuff that happened? Have you asked him how he was able to say 'I do' to Lindsey when you both knew it should have been you up there? Have you?" Peyton glared down at the bedspread as she listened to Brooke's words. Brooke frowned at her own words, and suddenly telling the truth didn't seem like that great of an idea.

"You know what, Brooke; maybe you should focus more on your dying relationship and less on our thriving one."

Brooke's jaw dropped at Peyton's harsh tone, "I didn't mean to…I was just trying to point out the irony in your words; I'm sorry if my mouth got ahead of my head for a second there…Peyt?"

"You know what, mind your own business," and with that, she hung up the phone, leaving Brooke staring at the silent phone, wondering where it all went wrong.

TBC…

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**AN**: Hey guys it took me forever to write this, but I promised a chapter this weekend, so here it is. Sorry for any mistakes, I haven't proofread it yet. If you notice any mistakes, feel free to point them out so that I can go back and revise this. Thanks guys! As always, review!!


	6. The Best Day

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN**: Thanks guys for all the wonderful reviews. I never realized, until I posted this, just how scary it is to post something that you've worked hard on and not know how people are going to react. You have all helped my fear so much, so thank you so much for that – I couldn't do this without you.

I want to give a special thanks to ashstalker, Kimberlli, and Brucas4Evah. Your reviews have meant a lot to me, and Brucas4Evah – thanks so much for all the conversations on the forum.

I've come to realize that I do the whole flashback thing in almost every chapter, and I still have a lot of things to explain that would be easier done in flashbacks, so I'd really appreciate it if you guys could tell me whether or not you like the flashback thing. I'm just worried that if I try to throw in quick explanations instead of the flashbacks, that things won't have as much meaning – tell me what you think.

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**Chapter 6: The Best Day**

Brooke's lips quivered slightly, turning down at the corners as she stared at the phone, still unsure about what had happened between herself and Peyton mere minutes before. She sighed quietly as she closed her phone, her mind flying in ten different directions, caught mostly between her thoughts of Peyton and her memories of Jake. She wondered idly if Peyton would have viewed her former relationship with Jake as a betrayal, or if she would have understood the connection the two brunettes shared; two broken hearted people doing their best to hold themselves and each other together despite the harsh reality that their hearts' desires no longer loved them back.

Brooke shook the thoughts from her head, knowing it was pointless to focus on her past mistakes when her present mistakes were so much larger. For the last four days, she had managed to avoid Sam's probing gaze and relentless questions, but had promised herself, and Haley, that she would sit down this afternoon and discuss her decision with the moody teenager who had grown to be the most important person in her life over the span of the last few months. And though she was dreading it, she knew that explaining things to Sam was crucial to their relationship. Her mind began to wander again as she pushed all thoughts of her much-needed talk with Sam from her head.

Brooke's eyes glazed over and a small smile replaced her gloomy look as she thought of those nights in New York when she first fell back into contact with Jake, and her eyes shined brightly, the green swirling with specks of brown as she remembered her many visits to Savannah after. Brooke rolled over in her bed, her smile fading as she remembered the way she'd pushed Jake away after the attack when he'd been one of the only people she'd been able to confide in.

She sat up slowly, her head filled with several visions of the past, each somehow revolving around Jake Jagielski.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

_Nearly three months after seeing Lucas and discussing with him his and Peyton's breakup, Brooke still found herself in a slump. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw visions of herself wearing that ring again, Keith's ring, and for just a moment, she allowed herself to wish that he had given her that ring for real. Who knew that fake engagements could be so traumatizing to an already broken heart. _

_Brooke sighed and lowered her head to rest on her fist, bored. After agreeing to the partnership with her mother, who insisted that Brooke call her Victoria, she'd had a lot of free time on her hands. Most of the meetings these days were about money or some new merger with another clothing company; it was almost as if the fashion aspect of her __**fashion**__ line was starting to take a backseat to the business side of things. Brooke groaned loudly and stood up, unable to sit around and wait for her mother to explain the details of some meeting at which she, the business owner, was not even wanted._

_A few minutes after she left the 'Clothes Over Bros' headquarters, she found herself standing outside "The Golden Circle," a bar she'd heard about weeks ago from Chris; she smiled as she entered the doors, the sound of soothing jazz buzzing through the speakers. She walked, or skipped rather, over to the bar, debating whether or not it was too early to buy herself a drink, but within seconds of sitting on one of the beige stools; the bartender placed a martini in front of her, his dark eyebrows rising humorously._

"_Hey, you're uh…Sal right?" He nodded, "Keller told me all about you; he said you make the best drinks in town," she glanced down at the drink he had just placed in front of her, "but I'm not exactly drinking tonight. Do you think you can send this back to," she glanced around, "…whoever sent it?"_

_The bartender nodded and tilted his head toward a blonde guy sitting at the other end of the bar. Brooke allowed her gaze to drop to the strangely docile looking man at the other end of the bar and pushed the drink toward Sal, standing as the calming jazz came to an end and was replaced by soft rock. Brooke found herself swaying to the alluring beat, and she began walking toward the small stage where the band was playing; she couldn't look away from the guitarist, noting the hypnotic way his fingers moved skillfully over the strings, and she was unable to stand still, her body taking over her mind until she was unconsciously tempting every man in the room with her persuasive movements. _

_Brooke closed her eyes, barely aware of her own whereabouts, and it was almost as if the music was fixing every horrific thing in her life, helping her to forget all about Lucas Scott and his indecisiveness. The band played a few more songs and was soon replaced by another band, country music this time, and Brooke began to lose interest in this game. She smiled, feeling the happiest she'd been in months, but it was getting late and she knew that playtime was over. She glanced over toward the door, knowing that she should probably leave soon but really dreading the end of the night. _

"_Brooke?"_

_She turned at the sound of his amicable voice, her smile growing and her dimples popping, "Ah! Jake Jagielski!" She threw herself into his arms, noting how happy he looked, "You look great; how have you been?"_

_He grinned, wrapping his arms tighter around her for a moment before letting go, "I'm wonderful. I finally have full custody of Jenny now, which is what I hoped for all along, and every few weeks I fly up here and play a gig with some of my closest friends. Life's pretty amazing at the moment."_

"_Where is cute, little Jenny?"_

"_Hanging with my cousin at home; even when I'm only away from her for a few days, I miss her..." His eyes slid over her, curious and prodding, "By the way, Brooke, you look even more beautiful than I remember."_

_Brooke grinned, "Of course I do. And to be honest, you're looking pretty good too; the whole raggedy thing is working for you." She raised her eyebrow teasingly and Jake laughed, "So, how long are you in town? We have to hang out before you go!"_

_Jake sighed, taking her hand and leading her to the bar, "I'm actually leaving tonight, but, hey, here's my number and email address." He pulled a pen from his pocket and began writing on a napkin, "It was great seeing you, Brooke Davis. And hey, you better call me."_

_Brooke smiled and nodded, "Count on it."_

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

_Two months after her meeting with Jake in 'The Golden Circle,' Brooke sat at her computer composing another email, smiling to herself. Chris came out of the kitchen, looking bored, "Writing your lover another email?"_

_Brooke laughed and rolled her eyes, "Yup. I'm writing my __**friend **__another email; I didn't realize how much I missed seeing him until I ran into him. He's a really great guy."_

_Chris leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, thinking it was strange how normal things felt with her, despite their strange history, "Did you tell him that you and I broke up?" _

_He looked a little too excited by the notion of she and Jake sending silly emails, and part of her felt the need to remind him that they were 'just friends,' despite the fact that she knew it would ruin his giddiness, "Why? You want me to give him your number? Think Jakey's kinda sexy?" _

_Chris rolled his eyes and grinned, "Nah, I'm good…I mean, the Keller is a great catch and all, obviously, but I have a feeling that he'd be more excited to know that __**you **__are single rather than that I am."_

_She laughed and pulled Chris down into the chair next to her, "Can what we had even really be considered a relationship, anyway? We went on, what, three dates?"_

_He looked offended, "Five dates – five AMAZING dates. Don't sell me short, Davis."_

_She giggled, "Yes, they were pretty amazing…" Her brow furrowed, "But kinda weird."_

"_True." He nodded, raising both his eyebrows at her, "It was like dating my little sister…except for the part where I find you really sexy; there was absolutely NOTHING sisterly about that." His eyes widened in realization, "You know…we had sex once." Brooke's eyes widened, wondering why he was bringing that up now. "So, if you're like my sister now, but we had sex before that, is it still creepy?"_

_Brooke cracked up at his words, surprised as always at his honest curiosity, and tears began falling down her rosy cheeks, "Gah, Keller, quit making me laugh…it's starting to hurt."_

_Chris grinned as her breathing calmed and her giggles stopped, "So, are you gonna do it? Visit him in Savannah like he asked you, I mean?"_

_Brooke nodded, glancing over at a picture of her and Peyton hugging, and hit the 'send' button, "Yup, I guess I am." _

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

_Brooke grinned as she stepped off the plane, her eyes immediately falling on the single father who had managed to take her from a whiney rich girl with an unhealthy love for a man that was never really hers to a more confident, albeit slightly neurotic, rich girl who finally believed in true friendships again with only simple emails as his tool. She could feel the warmth of his eyes with each step she took, feeling safe and at home for the first time since moving to New York. As she reached him it was as if every word he'd written to her came rushing back and she found herself wanting to hear him say the words aloud. He reached down, taking her hand in his, and smiled, "Come along, Miss Davis, welcome to my life."_

_For hours they ran around Savannah, him showing her the school he worked at, the small bar he often played at, and finally his home; the little blue house reminded her of those homes she'd seen on sitcoms, everything seemed perfect. She'd glanced around at all the pictures of Jenny, unable to comprehend that the tiny baby she'd once known was this gorgeous 3 year old she saw in all these recent photos. They didn't talk much, their words not having nearly as much meaning when spoken, but they each knew this for what it was; two friends rediscovering each other's lives._

_That night, after tucking Jenny in, as they sat beneath the stars, Brooke couldn't help but feel as if this was right. Because in those moments when she'd stared into little Jenny's eyes as Jake read her a bedtime story, she had never felt more alive, or more in love; that child had awakened within her the need to be a mother, the need to love someone with every fiber of one's being._

"_Jake?" she whispered softly, lifting her head from his chest, "This is what I want for my life."_

_Her words were mere whispers, but he heard her. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at her for what felt like the first time, "What do you mean?"_

_She smiled wistfully, "I want to have a family someday; a baby of my own…" For a moment neither of them spoke, they merely looked into one another's eyes, feeling that if words were spoken, the spell would break and leave them both more damaged than before._

_Jake leaned forward, his breath hitching in his throat, and Brooke licked her suddenly dry lips. Jake ran the tips of his fingers over the side of her face, "Brooke." Then their lips met, fierce yet soft, harsh yet loving. His tongue played with hers in ways that she would later remember as perfection, and he wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her as close to him as he could. There was not an inch of their skin that wasn't touching; the pure intimacy in their every touch captivated them both beyond simple kisses. Soon enough they were forced to part, gasping for air as they leaned their foreheads against one another's, every few seconds one of them leaned in for another sweetly soft kiss._

_Brooke smiled and placed her hand on his cheek, "This is the life I want, and, to be honest, I don't want to go back."_

_Jake rubbed his nose against hers, "We'll be here when you get back – I promise."_

_Brooke glanced down, suddenly more aware of her surroundings, "What about Peyton?"_

_Jake frowned, "Brooke?"_

_Brooke pulled herself from his embrace, "I'm sorry…I know it isn't fair to kiss you like that and then take it all back, but she would never understand this…never. I don't have the right to take this from her."_

_Jake frowned and reached out toward her, "This isn't about her."_

"_I know. And I still…"_

_He nodded, knowing from the way she had kissed him that she had feelings far beyond what she was admitting. "I still…too."_

_Brooke laughed slightly, "I should go home. I love you, Jake Jagielski. You make sure you tell Jennybug that her Aunt Brooke loves her."_

_He nodded, pulling her into his arms, "I love you too, Brooke."_

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Brooke jumped at the sound of the front door slamming, knowing it was time to face the inevitable. She turned, not looking at the young girl, "Sam."

Sam raised her eyebrow and tossed her bag onto Brooke's bed, "Why'd you say no?"

TBC…


	7. I Heart ?

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN**: I could not, for the life of me, remember Chase's last name, so I guessed – let me know if it's right.

Again, I have not checked over this yet, so let me know if you notice any mistakes. Thanks guys for all the reviews!

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**Chapter 7: I Heart ?**

_Sam raised her eyebrow and tossed her bag onto Brooke's bed, "Why'd you say no?"_

Brooke frowned, having expected to have more time to prepare a proper defense against Sam's quick wit, "Do we really have to do this now? I'm sort of…" She glanced around, hoping for a distraction but coming up short, "busy."

Sam raised her eyebrow, both amused and annoyed at Brooke's fruitless attempts to postpone this long overdue talk. "Yeah, you seem real busy;" she said sarcastically, "Lying around like a bum must be really tiring."

Brooke nodded unhappily, knowing there was no escape, "You're right, Sam. You deserve to know the truth; it's just…" she sighed, running her fingers through her unkempt hair, "I'm not even sure what the truth is anymore." She glanced up to see Sam looking at her sadly, confusion in her eyes, "I didn't want to say no; everything within me was screaming 'yes,' but my head just doesn't quite agree with my heart."

Sam scoffed, "Your head and heart don't agree? Welcome to the club." Brooke looked up, shock in her hazel eyes. "Life is messy and it's hard, and sometimes we find ourselves being pulled in hundreds of directions, but he loves you!" Tears sprang to Brooke's eyes and her foster-daughter lowered her voice slightly, "Julian loves you, Brooke…Shouldn't that be enough for you?"

Brooke reached out for Sam's hand, pulling her onto the bed. She stared into the young girl's eyes, wishing that her words were lies, and that she could just tell Sam that everything would be okay, "I wish it was enough, Sammy, but this world we live in is harsh and sometimes love isn't all that's needed." She frowned at the sad look the teenager was giving her, "I know this probably sounds foolish and selfish, but I've had my heart broken before, and I've even broken a few along the way, Sam, and let me tell you, it's never easy to come back from that." She exhaled sharply, "The first two times I gave my heart away were to the same boy…and he shattered everything that I was; he destroyed the very thing he had helped to create within me…"

"What's that?" Sam asked softly, having never heard much about Brooke's past.

"Love." She answered simply, "True and powerful and seemingly unbreakable love. He gave it to me and then stole it all away, and my heart never fully recovered."

"Who was it? Your first love?"

Brooke smiled fondly, "My first and second love was Lucas Scott."

Sam's eyes widened and her jaw went slack, "Lucas?! Peyton's fiancé?"

"Yup."

"What happened? What ended things?"

Brooke frowned, her memories burning on her tongue, "Lots of things happened." She hesitated, "The first time we got together was the first time I ever showed someone my heart, but he and Peyton…" She frowned, not realizing that her sad face had turned to one of anger, "Let's just say, they needed each other more than they needed me."

Sam was seething inside, suddenly feeling as if she understood the friends' dynamic a bit more with this bit of information, "And the second time?"

"The second time, life got in the way. Lucas's and Nathan's father Dan – I'm sure you've heard of him – killed their Uncle Keith, and there was a shooting at the school, and, to make matters worse, Peyton realized that she was in love with Lucas…" Brooke's eyes were downcast and she found her mind wandering to Keith's death. "Then, at Haley and Nathan's second wedding, there was an accident featuring Nathan's Uncle Cooper…After all that it seemed kind of pointless to stay in a relationship where the person I loved was unable to love me completely, so I ended it."

"And somehow he ended up right back in her arms…Am I right?"

Brooke laughed, her eyes both sad and happy, "People who are meant to be together always find their way in the end. Trust me, honey, I never stood a chance."

Sam leaned back against the headboard, trying to piece together all the information she'd been given. Brooke slid up next to her, their arms barely grazing each other. She glanced over at her foster-mother, suddenly more curious about her past loves than her current one, "You said he was your first and second…were there more?"

Brooke nodded, excited to finally be able to share these things with the girl she loved most, "Chase Adams, you know, Mia's boyfriend."

Sam's eyes lit up and a laugh escaped her lips, "But he's so…nerdy!"

Brooke giggled, "Yeah, he is, but he's a great guy. The truth is I never really loved him the way I should; we never shared anything beyond a high school relationship, so, when my line picked up, our relationship just sort of fell apart…Hmm, then there was Chris Keller."

Sam's eyes widened comically, "The singer?!" Brooke nodded and grinned, "He's so hot!"

Brooke fell into a fit of giggles, "Chris is a pretty great guy. I told you how I used to be kind of…"

"Slutty?"

Brooke glared at the teenager, "A little less than chaste," she finished loudly, "Well, he and I…we…well, you get it!"

Sam grimaced, "Yeah, I wish I didn't, but I do."

"He and I ran into each other one night in New York, and I hated him; he was cocky and rude and kinda sexy…and for whatever reason, when he asked me to go on a date with him, I said yes. We only went on five dates, and though we had a lot of fun, we realized that there was no chemistry and we were better off as friends…" Sam noticed the way Brooke's smile broadened at the mention of the rock star, and she couldn't help but feel jealous of her pseudo mother. "We haven't talked much lately, but we still send emails back and forth, and, if I asked him to, I know he would fly back to see me at a moment's notice, just as I would do the same for him."

Sam frowned, realization in her eyes, "Are you saying that Lucas is the only guy you've ever loved?"

Brooke shook her head, her eyes serious, "Of course not. I love Julian, and before Julian came, there was someone else, but…" she hesitated, "I don't know if he and I were in love. We never really got the chance to explore things."

"Why didn't you?"

Brooke's eyes narrowed, not in anger but in sadness, "Peyton. Her heart has always been bigger than mine, allowing her to love far more easily than I ever could…I could never have taken her past from her."

"What does that mean – to take her past from her?"

The older woman shook her head, "There was a man, Jake Jagielski, that was everything I've ever wanted in a man, but he was Peyton's first love, or at least I had always viewed him as such. It didn't feel right to be with someone whose heart had once belonged to Peyton…"

Sam raised her eyebrow, turning her body more towards Brooke, "Is that why you said no to Julian? Because he used to be Peyton's?"

Brooke opened her mouth to say no, but no words came. Silence took over the room, and Brooke tried desperately to find the words to explain.

"I love Julian; I truly do. But our lives are in different places, and I can't let him throw away everything he has ever built just so he can live in this mediocre town with someone who isn't worth it…I can't do that to him."

"You don't think you're good enough?"

Tears fell down her cheeks as she glanced away from the smaller brunette, "Sometimes I wonder if that's why Victoria left? Or Lucas? Or if that's why Peyton chose Lucas over me time and time again?" Her eyes grew darker, anger and sadness overpowering her, "I'm not ready for another broken heart, Sam."

Sam's arms immediately wrapped themselves around Brooke, and Sam could feel the tears spark in her eyes, shocked to see the walls the older woman had placed around herself finally breaking. They sat there, arms wrapped tight around each other for over an hour, both feeling closer to the other than they had ever felt with anyone else.

Brooke wiped at her eyes, pulling away from Sam slightly, "Oh, I completely forgot one of my guys."

Sam smiled, "Who?"

Brooke looked at her, the sadness replaced with a mischievous glint, "Nathan's hot Uncle Cooper."

Sam broke into a fit of giggles at the same moment that Brooke did, "are you serious?!"

Brooke grinned, "No, not really. But he is by far the sexiest man alive!" She giggled, "He's always been my hot uncle fantasy."

Sam frowned, "'Hot uncle fantasy?' You know that's kind of creepy right?"

Laughter erupted from Brooke's lips again, "Yeah, I suppose…but you'd understand if you saw him; trust me, Hot Uncle Cooper is pure love."

Sam rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around her foster mom again. "I love you, Brooke."

"I love you too, Brat."

TBC…


	8. I'd Lie

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN**: Eeeek! You guys flatter me so much with your sweet words of encouragement; this story would not have survived the dreaded 'delete' button had you guys not been so supportive, so thank you! You all mean the world to me!

I want to give a special thanks to Lelina, Brucas4Evah, and koumi11. You guys have continuously given me great reviews and even greater advice. Thanks so much!

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**Chapter 8: I'd Lie**

The entire house laid silent, save for the master bedroom at the end of the hall; contagious giggles and loud pleas poured from the room like bees from a hive, and, as Lucas Scott walked through the corridor toward the inhabited room, he found himself reluctant to break the pleasing and altogether sweet atmosphere. He slowed his steps, listening to mother and daughter, a mere six and a half year difference in age, giggle as they shared stories about boys they'd had crushes on and, in Brooke's case, dated. He placed his hand against the doorframe, eavesdropping intently as Brooke described the end of their junior year, when she'd dated Felix, and he had realized that she was the girl for him. Lucas's smile grew and he closed his eyes as Brooke described the way that she'd still been in love with him then and had been hiding her true feelings in order to protect her heart.

Lucas quietly placed his forehead against the door, and Brooke continued the story, going into deep detail about her and Lucas and their roller coaster of a relationship senior year. Her voice became raspier in certain sections, like when she described their fight in the rain, and Lucas could visualize that night perfectly; that night Brooke had truly become his for the first time.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

_Brooke ran, tears clouding her vision, as the rain fell heavily upon her; she could hear Lucas only a few feet behind her, but she didn't stop; her heart was already too bruised for that. _

"_Stop!" He screamed as he ran behind her, "This is ridiculous!"_

"_Ridiculous?!" She stopped running and turned toward him, anger and pain in her eyes, "I found that letter in your sad 'box of Peyton,' whatever, in your closet! 'Dear Peyton, blah, blah, blah. You're mine forever. Love Lucas!'" She started walking again, more slowly this time, all her pent up issues concerning Lucas and Peyton's fling the year before coming to the forefront._

_Lucas continued following her, determined to make her realize just how absurd she sounded, "I don't even remember writing that!" He yelled over the sound of the rain hitting the pavement._

"_Well, you did! Looks like forever just got a lot shorter!"_

_Lucas reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her around to look at him, "Brooke, I am sorry! It was a mistake…"_

"_Which time? When you wrote it to __**me**__ or Peyton?!"_

"_You know, __**you**__ were the one who was snooping through __**my**__ closet," he said indignantly._

"_**So**__ not the point!"_

"_Look," he grabbed her arms tightly, "I know you've been vulnerable about what you wrote to me in your letters…"_

_Brooke glared at him, frustrated that he, as always, was unable to understand why this upset her so much, "That is __**not **__why I'm upset right now! And FYI, I am __**not **__your recycling bin!" She turned and marched off again, more pissed than before._

_Lucas glared at her back, "No, you're psychotic!"_

_After a few minutes of being ignored by Brooke, Lucas decided to concede, knowing that she would more than likely get him back for his idiocy later, "Brooke, I'm sorry I said that. You're not psychotic. I mean, a little disturbed, maybe."_

_Brooke stopped walking, spun around and glared at him again, "You think this is funny?!"_

"_Know what I think? I think you're trying to sabotage us. Find __**any **__reason you can to end it, so that you don't have to worry about getting hurt again."_

_Brooke conceded slightly, lowering her head, "But the same words, Lucas? The __**exact same words**__?!"_

_Lucas shook his head, frustrated, "I never sent that letter to Peyton."_

"_And I never sent my letters to you either, but they still meant something!" She paused, hurt in her voice, "Just tell me why, why me this time? Why __**not**__ Peyton?"_

_Lucas shook his head slightly, "I can't say anything bad about Peyton. She's my friend, and she's __**your**__ best friend!"_

_Brooke looked at him sadly, "That's okay; you can say bad things about her."_

_He shook his head again, this time with amusement in his eyes, "Oh, Brooke." The amusement disappeared, "The truth is, I care about Peyton."_

_The rasp in her voice deepened, and her voice cracked from the tears, "Then __**what **__is the difference?"_

_Lucas looked at her, the frustration in his eyes melting to love, "The difference…the difference is I love you, Brooke." The anger in her eyes begins to fade, "I wanna be with you, not Peyton."_

_Her voice sounded broken, almost like a child, "But __**why**__? I __**need **__to know __**why**__."_

_Lucas smiled slightly, "Because you…kink your eyebrow when you're trying to be cute; because you quote Camus, even though I've never actually seen you read!" She smiled slightly, "And because…you miss your parents, but you'll never ever admit that," he laughs slightly, "And because…I've given exactly two of these embarrassing speeches in my __**entire**__ life…and they've both been with you…I mean that's…gotta mean something, right?"_

_She didn't answer him, but her eyes were softer and filled with love. Lucas smiles, "And because we're both gonna get pneumonia, but if you need to hear why I love you…I can go on all night."_

_Brooke smiled, "You did pretty good." _

_She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him as the rain continued to fall around them, and for that one moment, they each felt as if their love was unbreakable._

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Lucas sighed silently, listening to the girl formerly known as his 'pretty girl' tell more stories about their previous relationship.

Brooke smiled sadly at Sam, "I just always felt like I loved him more than he could ever love me, and don't get me wrong, things have worked out for the best, but it still makes me sad." Sam nodded and laid her head on the older woman's shoulder. "I always believed that I would be Mrs. Lucas Scott…Davis."

Both girls giggled when she added her own last name to the mix, "But I do love Julian, and maybe someday I'll be Mrs. Julian Baker Davis, but I'm not ready."

"Do you still love him?" Sam asked softly.

"Lucas?" The teenager nodded, "I…"

Lucas leaned closer to the door, trying to hear her answer, but somehow managed to trip over his own feet, slamming his shoulder against the doorframe and knocking him to the ground loudly. Both girls glanced up as quickly as something hit the other side of the door, and Lucas immediately stood up from where he had fallen and opened the door, knowing he'd been caught.

"Luke!" Brooke stood up, anger and a bit of fear in her eyes, "What are you doing here? Were you eavesdropping?!"

Lucas shook his head without delay, a look of pure innocence on his face, "Of course not." Brooke didn't look convinced, and Sam looked downright pissed. "Actually, Brooke…I was wondering if we could talk about something?" He glanced over at Sam pointedly, "Privately."

The two girls looked at each other from the corner of their eyes and the older girl nodded, ushering Sam from the room with a simple gesture.

Brooke smiled at Lucas, though it seemed forced and lacked her usually prominent dimples, sitting back down on her bed, grateful that she'd decided to where pajama pants and a tee-shirt to bed instead of the lingerie she often wore when Julian stayed over. "What is it, Luke?"

Luke sighed and ran his fingers over the back of his head, "What's going on with you and Peyton?" Brooke growled beneath her breath, her conversation from that morning having been forgotten up until this point. Lucas rolled his eyes, expecting that response, "She's been in a really bad mood since I got home this afternoon, and she won't even talk to me."

Brooke raised her eyebrow, clearly not interested in his problems, "And you just assumed that I had something to do with your 'precious Peyton' being all bitchy?"

"Of course not! I didn't say that…and I didn't call her bitchy…" Brooke laughed at that and rolled her eyes, "It's just…she wouldn't tell me anything; she just kept mumbling something about people minding their own business and then I heard her say your name. But there was something in her eyes, Brooke, pain and guilt and anger of course, so what happened?"

Brooke shook her head and glanced away from him.

"We're friends, Cheery...You can tell me anything."

She scoffed, "No, we're not friends, Luke. You and I have never been friends, and, just for the record, you don't get to call me 'Cheery' anymore."

He looked hurt, "What do you mean, we're not friends?"

Brooke pulled a hair tie from on top of her dresser and threw her hair into a messy bun, "When's the last time we had an actual conversation, Luke? One that didn't revolve around you and Peyton? And when's the last time you called or came over just to say 'hey?'" She grew frustrated and stood up, her anger from the past few months spilling over, "And where were you when my entire world fell apart? You **knew** how important Angie was to me, but the second she was gone, you jumped on a plan with Peyton…so, no, Luke, we are **not** friends…"

He frowned, trying to think of a way to refute her, but coming up short. Brooke felt angry tears fill her eyes and she sighed, for a writer, Lucas Scott sure was bad at getting himself out of sticky situations.

"You know what, Luke, it's fine…Don't worry about it; I've accepted that when you're with Peyton we can't be friends…" She glanced down, a small frown on her face, "That's the way it should be…she should be your everything; don't worry about me..."

His face held a similar expression, "I haven't accepted that, Brooke. You are one of the most important people in my life…I don't want to lose you."

"You already lost me Luke…the second you made the call…" After a few minutes of awkward silence, Brooke finally relented, "You were right though…It is my fault that Peyt's in a bad mood…"

Luke nodded, glad for a distraction from her harsh words, "Care to explain?"

She shrugged, "There's not really much to it. I told her that Julian proposed to me and I asked her opinion. She said something about not rushing marriage…and I pointed out the contradiction between her words and her actions, she yelled, I got pissed, she hung up, and here we are. I think that about covers everything."

She noticed the far away expression in his eyes, "Luke?"

He glanced up slowly, "Are you…Are you engaged?"

She hesitated, not really wanting to share this bit of news with her ex-boyfriend, "No actually I'm...I said no."

Relief clouded his eyes, "Good…"

"What?"

"I just meant good as in…you're not rushing things." She glared at him as he turned to walk away, his voice completely monotone, "I'm just gonna…show myself out."

TBC…

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**AN**: If you see any mistakes please pm and I will fix them. Thanks guys! PLEASE REVIEW!


	9. Someone Stop This Song

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN**: Okay, I've read a lot of stories where people claim that Lucas never found out about the attack, and on the show they never made it clear if he did or not, so I am going to say that he did. In this story, though I'm not going to go into lots of detail about it, I'm going to say that after Brooke finally told Peyton the truth, Peyt told Lucas the truth – then she told him the lie that Brooke had told her (that she fell down the stairs).

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**Chapter 9: Someone Stop This Song (Lovesick Melody) **

Lucas groaned as he entered the house, the silence making it all too clear that Peyton's mood had yet to alleviate. The silence serving, too, to make him more aware of just how badly he'd screwed things up with Brooke over the years; he hadn't even realized that their friendship had turned to nothing but dust and grime, and that his selfish choices had left her in the dark once again. He shook his head slowly, seeing in his mind the image of her covered in bruises at Quentin's funeral, wondering to himself why he didn't ask her if she was alright. Wondering, too, if he could have helped her, or if he would have selfishly accepted Peyton's answer that Brooke had simply fallen down the stairs just so that his life would not have been any more complicated. In his mind's eye the handprints on her arms and neck stood out on her ivory skin like paint on a fresh canvas, and tears entered his eyes as he thought of how he'd ignored her obvious pain, pain over the attack, and over Angie. The way he'd abandoned the first girl he'd ever truly loved in her biggest time of need clawed at him, leaving him to feel bear and broken, and he knew that if didn't fix what he'd created soon, his heart may not survive.

"Peyton?" he called loudly as he walked toward his bedroom,_ our bedroom_, he silently reminded himself. "Peyt, are you here, honey?"

He could sense her before he even reached the door to their bedroom, their connection so strong that he was almost always able to read her, to know when she was in trouble or just really needed him. Today was no different; through the door he could almost see the sadness in her eyes, the anger in her pursed lips, and the confusion in her furrowed brow. He knew all her looks, and on most days this combination of emotions would have scared and saddened him, but not on this day; not when his heart was aching in chest from a failed friendship, not when he found himself blaming **her** for **his** selfishness.

His hand rested on the door as if he was afraid of what would happen once he entered the room; he knew they'd have to talk, and for reasons unknown to him, he was terrified. He sighed and pushed open the door, the slight squeak irritating him more in that moment than ever before.

"Peyt?"

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, "I think we need to talk, Luke," she looked into his eyes expectantly, "Brooke was right…about everything. We jumped into this engagement…"

His eyes grew wide and filled with panic, "Peyton…are you leaving me?"

"No!" She stood up immediately, her hand falling to her flat stomach, "Of course not. I love you, you know that…I just think there are things that we've managed to ignore up until this point that we need to talk about before the wedding." She shook her head and sat back down, pulling him with her, "We won't survive if we don't."

He nodded, "You're right…I'm just scared I guess."

Her eyes grew wide, "Of what?"

"What might happen to us…"

Peyton sighed and rested her forehead against his, "I love you, Lucas Scott. You don't have a thing to worry about…We can survive anything."

He nodded again, looking less sure this time, "Yeah…Anything."

Silence presided over the room, neither sure where to begin, but both knowing that this conversation was crucial to their relationship.

Peyton sighed, running her fingers through her hair, "…You said 'I do' to Lindsey," and though her words were whispered, Lucas heard them loud and clear, like a gun being fired down an empty corridor, and his heart began beating faster, unsure of what he was meant to say to that.

"Peyt…I…"

Her eyes were filled with tears of confusion and what could be confused as regret, "I need to know why, Luke. How could you look into her eyes and promise to spend forever with her?" she shook her head slowly as the first tear fell.

"Peyton," her reached his hand out and wiped the tear from her cheek, "I'm not going to lie to you and say that I didn't love her…because I did," he sighed, "Or I thought I did. I don't know anymore…"

Peyton pulled away from him and stood up, her eyes filling with pure anger, "That's your answer? You **think** you loved her…but you don't know?! Love isn't a game, Lucas. Just tell me the truth, did you love her?"

His eyes lowered to the ground, remembering the day Lindsey walked away from him, breaking his heart in a way he was sure would never heal, and suddenly his answer became clear, "Yes, I loved and could have easily married Lindsey Strauss…" Peyton's gaze dropped and a fresh wave of tears fell down her cheeks. "I loved her, but she wasn't you, Peyton. What you and I have…what we've always had, nothing compares to that. **You** know me better than anyone, and **I** know you," he smiled slightly, looking up into her eyes, "I've always known you."

Peyton looked at him then, her eyes a mixture of emotions, and she reached over to pick up the silver picture frame that sat on his bookshelf. She stared down at the picture a minute before turning it toward him, "And Brooke? Did she compare?"

Lucas's jaw dropped and his eyes fell to the picture of Brooke, himself, and baby Angie, "Peyton…"

She laughed, her voice sounding harsh, "I don't hear you saying no, Luke. Do you love her?"

"We are just…"

"Friends?"

He nodded, "Nothing more, Peyton. I chose **you**. I love **you**."

Another laugh fell from her lips, this one laced with tears, "You **chose** me? Love isn't supposed to be a choice, Lucas! You shouldn't **have** to choose…you should just know!"

Lucas rolled his eyes, suddenly angry, "Right…Love isn't a choice…So you were never in love with Julian then?"

"That is **not** the same thing!"

"Yes it is! You loved him…"

She sighed, "But I loved you more."

He nodded, "And **I** loved **you** more…"

Silence engulfed the room again, and both could feel their blood rushing through their veins, feel their hearts breaking in their chests, "Do you still love her, Luke?"

Lucas looked down as Peyton placed the picture frame on his bed, "Yes…And part of me probably always will." She placed her hand over her mouth to hold her sobs at bay. Lucas stood, pulling her into his arms, "But **you** are the girl for me…you're my soul mate."

Peyton shook her head, "What if that's not enough?"

"It will be; it is." He placed his hand on her stomach, "Our baby is proof of that; she's the true symbol of our love, not my moment of clarity at the championship game or the comet, but this baby."

"She?"

He smiled, "A little girl with a tangled mess of blonde hair and skinny arms; she will be the most beautiful thing to ever step foot in Tree Hill. I can see her already…broody beyond compare."

They both laughed quietly, Lucas's smile slowly becoming a frown, "Peyton…Do you still love him?"

She hesitated, "I don't…I don't love him, but I uh…It still hurts, knowing that he can so easily forget what he had and move on to be with Brooke…You know?"

Luke's breath caught in his throat, and he found himself wondering if that's how Brooke viewed his relationship with Peyton; did she believe that he had forgotten about the love they once shared…was that why she told him they weren't friends?

"Yeah, Peyton. I know exactly what you mean…"

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Brooke sighed as she picked up her phone, dialing a familiar number, "Listen," she said softly to the voice that picked up, "Things are…complicated right now. The truth is, I need you…" she began pacing back and forth in her store, unable to escape the image of Lucas's face after she told him that she'd declined Julian's offer. "I think I might have made a huge mistake; can you come over?"

"…Of course," the man answered, "I'm in New York right now, but I'll be there in a few days, okay?"

Brooke sighed in relief, "Thanks…I owe you."

He laughed, "Nah, if anything I owe you. I mean, how many times did you skip meetings just to come see me play my music?"

She smiled, "Tons."

She could almost see his handsome smile, "See you soon, Brooke."

"Okay…"

She hit the 'end' button and slowly laid the phone back down. She glanced over at the photo album she'd been looking through earlier, her eyes falling on a picture of her, Jake, and Chris, "I really hope this isn't a mistake," she whispered softly to herself. She groaned and sat down heavily on the couch next to the lettermen jackets she's designed, "Oh, who the Hell am I kidding? This is definitely going to bite me in the ass later…"

TBC…

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**AN**: You guys are amazing with the whole reviewing thing, but I have a request for you guys, I'd really, really like to get to 50 reviews before I post chapter 10…do you think you can help me?! Thanks as always guys!!


	10. You

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **Okay, guys, I've got the endgame couple possibilities down to two.

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**Chapter 10: You**

Brooke grinned at Julian's far away expression and pulled him closer to her, leaning her body as near to him as was physically possible, and nibbled softly on his bottom lip, knowing that the taste of cherries on her lips drove him absolutely crazy. His usual smirk was replaced with a look of pure lust as he lifted her into his arms almost roughly and sat her down on the counter near the cash register, all her sketches crashing to the ground, her legs locking tightly around his waist. She held his lips against hers, the stubble on his cheek scratching her slightly, heightening her senses immensely as their kiss became more frenzied and out of control.

Brooke giggled as his fingers tried desperately to unbutton her top, "Mm, Jules…Public place…"

He grinned and snapped another button on her shirt, his lips tracing down along her throat, knowing exactly which spots made her ache in the most delicious and naughty ways, "C'mon, Giggles…What's the fun of owning a store if you aren't going to christen it properly?"

Brooke sighed, the feeling of his surprisingly soft lips torturing her into submission; suddenly she grinned, pushing him backward as she untangled their limps and hopped off the counter, her look both sinister and sensual. "Here's the deal," her voice became raspier, more seductive, as she began walking slowly toward him, backing him away from the counter. The back of his knees hit the long couch and he smiled, believing that he was about to get exactly what he wanted; Brooke raised her eyebrow and, with the softest touch, pushed Julian down onto the couch, "We have to meet Haley and Nathan in twenty minutes…" he frowned, the mention of the other Scott brother turning him off. She smirked again, "So we can only…_play_ for another…seven minutes or so…I make the rules, and you simply obey, can you do that?"

Julian breathed in deeply as she crawled on top of him, her right hand on his upper thigh, "First rule, no touching…" Her lips grazed his ear, sending shivers up his spine, "Can you be a good boy and control yourself?"

His eyes glazed over and he nodded enthusiastically. She giggled, her lips finding his again as her left hand cupped both his wrists, bringing his hands above his head; both brunettes knew that if he wanted, Julian could break her hold easily, but this was **her** game…he'd do anything she asked him to, as long as she kept her hand right where it was.

Julian lifted his body slightly, knowing that he was about to break her one and only rule, and rubbed himself against her; she shook her head at him mockingly and lifted herself so she was straddling him, her legs and hands being the only parts of her body touching him, "Uh uh," she leaned over him and rubbed her nose against his, "I said no touching…"

"Brooke…I need you to let me…"

She smiled, her lips finding his again for the briefest of moments, "I love you, Julian Baker, but if you can't do as I ask, then maybe we'll just have to stop now..."

She stood, looking down at him like a predator stalking its prey, and she popped another button on her shirt, revealing the creamy skin of her flat belly. Her laughter was soft as she watched Julian's eyes switch from the minimum amount of cleavage he could see to the soft expanse of her abdomen. A sigh escaped her lips and she ran her hand slowly along her collarbone, unbuttoning more of her shirt with her other hand, "You know…if you had just followed the rules like I asked, **you** could be the one touching me. I really do hate to play by myself."

He stood up quickly, his arms going around her waist, and pulled her down next to him on the couch, quickly rolling her underneath him. She screamed, giggling all the while as he sank down on the couch, kissing his way toward her midriff. "I bet you do…"

He pressed his lips against the center of her belly, his eyes still filled with lust, but slowly filling with another emotion as well, "Brooke…"

She kinked her brow, wondering where the seriousness in his eyes had come from. She lifted herself onto her elbows and looked down into his eyes, "Yeah?"

"I love you," he pressed his lips against her stomach again, placing his hand next to them, feeling her abdominal muscles contract slightly at the touch, "I just…I need you to know, that **you **are the woman for me; you're the woman that I want to start a family with," her eyes widened almost comically, "I know we're not ready for that; you've made that very clear," her eyes dropped sadly, and he reached out, lifting her chin, "But someday, **you** will be the mother of my children; I know it. You're the one…"

Brooke didn't answer for a minute, her eyes glued to his, "I've never…" she paused, wiping at the tears in her eyes as a small smile lit up her face, "never been so turned on in my entire life…"

Julian's eyes widened, confused, as Brooke launched herself at him, her lips bruising his with each kiss. She placed his hand on her stomach as they kissed, and suddenly things appeared much clearer; her future with Julian Baker seemed within grasp now, and she wasn't letting go for anything.

The two brunettes were so wrapped up in each other that neither noticed the attractive man enter the store until he spoke, embarrassment in his dark eyes, "Oh my god…I am so sorry!"

The man turned away quickly, laughing to himself as he heard one of them hit the ground in front of the couch, both of them buttoning and straightening their clothes as swiftly as possible. Brooke blushed, ashamed that she'd let her emotions get the better of her in the middle of her store, her eyes falling on the man; and, within seconds, her look of shame was replaced with colossal joy.

"Oh my…Jake?" He turned back toward her, a smile on his face, all traces of mortification gone, "What are you doing here?"

She pulled herself completely from Julian's arms and threw herself into Jake's, confusion shining in her eyes at his sudden appearance. The young father smiled and pulled away from her, noting the jealous look in the other man's eyes, "Uh, Chris called me…" Julian noticed the way her eyes were suddenly sad, not meeting either man's gaze, "He said that you asked him to come home and that it would be a few days before he could get here, so I got in my car, picked up my little girl, and here I am."

Brooke smiled again, glad that Chris knew her as well as he did, "How long are you staying?"

"As long as you need us."

"Even if it's forever?" The two old friends stared into each other's eyes, remembering every touch and hug and kiss, and simply feeling grateful to have one another back in their lives. Behind Brooke, Julian coughed, having seen enough of the two friends to know that they shared history.

Brooke jumped slightly, "Oh, sorry. Jake, this is my lovely boyfriend Julian Baker; Julian, this is a really good friend," she shook her head, "my best friend, Jake Jagielski."

Julian's eyes widened, "Wait, Jake from the book? Peyton's Jake?"

Brooke rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's sudden excitement, "Well, we don't call him that to his face, honey, but yes."

Julian suddenly smiled and held out his hand, "Nice to meet you, man."

"You too."

Brooke smiled at Jake, completely forgetting that she and Julian were supposed to be at Nathan and Haley's right now, "So, where are you staying?"

"Eh, my parents said I can stay on their couch."

The bubbly brunette rolled her eyes, "Don't be silly, I have an extra bedroom. You and Jennybug can stay with me." Jake and Julian both opened their mouths to protest, "Nope! Don't want to hear it…you're staying with me." Brooke smiled, "So where is Jenny anyway?"

"With my mom. She can't wait to see her Aunt Brooke though."

She smiled, "I can't wait either…" suddenly her eyes filled with realization, "Oh crap! I forgot that we were supposed to be at Naley's like…ten minutes ago. Wanna come with, Jake?" She smiled innocently, "It'll be funnnnnnn."

He frowned, "Will…you know?"

"Nope. Peyt and Luke won't be there."

Julian smiled at the discomfort on the other man's face, "Nice to know there's another guy who doesn't want to be around the annoyingly cutesy couple."

Brooke rolled her eyes as the two men touched knuckles, looking happy to have met, and headed for the door.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Twenty minutes later, as the trio was getting situated on the couch, Haley wwas going a mile a minute, asking question after question, barely giving the young musician time to breathe before answering, and Brooke couldn't help but think that this is what her life should be like. She had the guy, the great friends, the career, and, maybe someday soon, she'd have the family too. Her hand fell to her stomach as she listened to another of Jake's stories about silly girls he'd dated over the years, one she'd heard a thousand times in his emails, surprised that she didn't feel the usual twinge of jealousy she always used to get when he talked about other girls. She smiled, her fingers locking with Julian's; this was heaven.

TBC…

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**AN**: You know the drill – if you see any mistakes, please tell me.

As always, read and review! :)


	11. Always Feel This Way

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **Okay, this chapter is going to focus on Baley friendship and Julian/Nate. Please review!

*********************************************************************

**Chapter 11: Always Feel This Way**

"So," Haley began softly as she and Brooke were cooking dinner; Jake had left twenty minutes ago to pick up Jenny, and Nathan and Julian were in the living room, leaving the two girls alone, "Seeing Jake was quite the shock…I know he said he came back for business reasons, but I saw the looks you were giving him; why's he really here, Brooke?"

The dimpled brunette sighed, setting the knife with which she'd been cutting vegetables down on the counter, "After Julian asked me to marry him, I called Peyton and asked her if I did the right thing by saying 'no.' She said that I made the right choice because, and I quote, 'you can't rush things like marriage.'" She rolled her eyes, still annoyed by all the hypocrisy, "It bothered me, her talking about rushing life, when she'd doing the exact same thing with Luke," she shrugged, "I told her how I felt and she got angry and hung up on me. Then Luke stopped by…"

Haley's eyes grew angry, "Because of the fight?"

"Yeah, apparently when he got home from his meeting with Reese, Peyt was being all standoffish and kept muttering something about me minding my own business," Brooke's eyes drooped a little, remembering her talk with the blue-eyed man she'd once loved with her whole heart, "Luke said something about how I could count on him or talk to him or something equally pathetic, and I told him that we're not friends…" Tears entered her eyes, and Haley put her knife down too, looking at the girl sympathetically. "I just, I can't be the girl who needs Lucas Scott; he can't save me from life anymore, not if he and Peyton and Julian and I are going to survive."

Haley nodded, "Did you tell him about the almost engagement?"

Brooke laughed, her eyes darkening in anger, "Oh yeah. He said 'good,' then proceeded to repeat his fiancé's words that I shouldn't rush things…" The picked up the knife and began cutting the carrots for the roast again, her mind filled with a million thoughts at once, "The other night it all just sort of hit me, and I realized that I need my best friend…" she smiled softly at Haley and reached over to squeeze her hand, "My **other** best friend, so I called Chris. Apparently he called Jake, and here we are."

Haley smiled, "I'm really glad that you and Chris are as close as you are…I mean, sure, it's strange to hear you talk about him the way you do, but even though he and I couldn't stay friends, it's good that he has someone in which to confide and love – he deserves that."

"He really does."

Both girls went back to chopping vegetables, a comfortable silence falling over them.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

"So, man, this is kinda weird," Nathan said, glancing back at the kitchen where his two favorite girls had disappeared.

Julian laughed, his usual smirk looking less than ideal, an almost nervous glint in his eye, "Yeah…Brooke talks about you guys all the time; she says that you're pretty much her brother…So, I'm not gonna lie, this is a bit intimidating." Nathan laughed aloud and shook his head at the producer, "I'm half expecting you to start asking me about my motives any second…"

Nathan grinned, a devious look in his eyes, "Well, I wasn't planning on it…but since you brought it up," he smirked at the other man, a dangerous look on his face, "if you even think for a second about hurting her in any way…I **will** destroy you. Remember that."

Julian nodded, his face completely serious, "…I'm glad she has someone like you; she's an amazing woman."

Nathan nodded, surprised that he was actually starting to like this guy. And even though he was secretly rooting for his brother to realize his feelings for the brunette bombshell, he had to admit that this guy may just be exactly what she needs, "Yeah, she is."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Haley bit her lip, constantly looking back and forth between Brooke and the food she was supposed to be preparing, her curiosity overpowering her. She tapped her fingers on the counter, watching Brooke chops and slice and dice; she groaned loudly and laid her knife back down, a frown on her face.

Brooke raised her eyebrow, her back facing Haley, and she laughed quietly to herself, amused at Haley's seemingly impatient attitude, "What is it, Tutormom?" She turned to face her best friend, rolling her eyes slightly, "Clearly there's something on your mind…"

Haley's eyes swept over toward the living room for a second but, realizing that the guys were still preoccupied, quickly looked back at Brooke, her attention completely focused on the pretty fashion designer, "Okay, I understand why you called Chris, but where does Jake fit in? When you first came home you told me all about the whole Chris thing, but I had no idea that you and Jake were still in touch."

Brooke shook her head and sat down on one of the stools adjacent to her musically inclined friend, "We weren't…it's complicated."

"I have time," Haley frowned slightly, "I didn't think we had secrets."

"We don't…I ran into Jake at a bar a few weeks after the whole fake engagement thing with Lucas…"

"Whoa! What engagement thing?"

Brooke's eyes widened, "Oh, he didn't tell you?" Haley shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "After Peyton turned him down and he got the call that his book was being published, he called me. I came to publishing party and he showed me the ring and told me what had happened with him and the bottle-blonde bitch otherwise known as Peyton Sawyer…Anyway, we were in a bar and I asked to see the ring again; people assumed that he was proposing to me, and, when they offered us free drinks, we sort of went along with the whole charade…It was never supposed to mean anything, but he kissed me that night…"

Haley, who had been nodding quietly through Brooke's whole speech, suddenly looked furious, "And of course, you being you, I'm assuming you turned him down and left; am I correct?"

Brooke nodded, "Yeah, I wasn't going to be his rebound girl anymore…I'd already played that role twice and I don't think that my heart could have handled it again…"

Haley's eyes were soft, "In all fairness to Luke…the second time you two got together, you weren't a rebound." Brooke opened her mouth to protest, but before any words could escape, Haley was already speaking again, "He was so sure about you; he knew you were the one for him. He loved you. I know it."

Both girls stared at each other mutely, tears clouding Brooke's vision as she tried to push the other girl's words from her head.

Haley sighed quietly, "…Sorry, you ran into Jake in a bar…"

She nodded, "It wasn't a big deal really. We exchanged emails and phone numbers, and for weeks we just talked. About anything and everything." Her voice lowered as her eyes shifted toward the room where two of the most important men in her life were currently sitting, "He asked me to come visit him in Savannah one weekend, so I did…We kissed that weekend, and things changed between us. Suddenly it didn't seem so important to me that he was Peyton's ex, or that he lived states away; none of it mattered because I thought I was falling in love."

"And did you? Fall in love?"

Brooke laughed quietly and shook her head, "No, I didn't, and neither did he. I sort of ran away the night we kissed; I was terrified of what might happen if I allowed him to get too close. Well, he emailed me a lot after that night, and eventually I emailed him back; well, we ended up hanging out at one of Chris's shows, and the three of us became pretty much inseparable…" She glanced over at Haley, a smile on both their faces, but Brooke's smile faded with her next words, "After the attack I called Jake…he came home for me and offered to stay for as long as I needed him, but I made him go home to his daughter and his life in Savannah."

Haley shook her head, her eyes questioning, "Why'd you make him leave?"

"Peyton. She and Lucas were finally back together, and I didn't want to confuse her heart when she had finally gotten what she wanted…I love my P. Sawyer, even when she's being completely unreasonable..."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

The two men looked away from each other; the tension in the air had lessoned slightly since their first conversation but was now beginning to grow again because of the silence.

"So, uh, you play basketball right?"

Nathan rolled his eyes and looked at the other man, amused, "That's the best you can come up with?"

Julian sighed and he sat back further on the couch, waiting for his girlfriend to save him from this uncomfortable conversation. "I liked you better when you were threatening me…" he muttered softly as he gazed anxiously toward the room Brooke was currently in.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

The two girls laughed as the entered the living room a few minutes later, both gazing amusingly at their respective partners, who had somehow managed to sit as far away from each other as possible in the large room. Brooke raised her eyebrow at Julian who merely grinned sheepishly in return. Haley rolled her eyes and started walking toward the door, having heard someone knock.

"Jake, welcome back," she said with a small smile, respecting and liking him more in this moment than in any other; she knew that she owed a lot of the change she'd seen in Brooke to him.

The other three people in the room grinned and waved. Brooke stood up her arms wide open, "Jenny!"

The little brunette grinned and immediately threw herself into the older woman's arms, "Aunt Brooke!"

Everyone turned, hearing the small steps on the staircase; Jamie smiled as the Jagielskis entered the room, "Hi, I'm Jamie and I'm five," he said excitedly to the little girl, "And that," he pointed to Brooke, "is my Aunt Brooke."

Jenny smiled back at him, "I'm Jenny and I'm seven." She smiled and pointed to Brooke as well, "And she's my Aunt Brooke too."

The older brunette grinned, dipping down to hug both of the children, and the other four adults in the room couldn't help but notice how perfect she looked with children in her arms, and Julian couldn't help but wonder what their children would look like; he hoped that when they had children, they would look exactly like her, dimples and all.

TBC…


	12. Just Friends

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **Okay, sorry that I didn't really write much of a bonding scene at all. There was just so much that I wanted to do with this, but I really wanted to get a chapter to you guys. I hope you like this despite it's suckiness.

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**Chapter 12: Just Friends**

To say that the dinner was awkward would be an understatement, a lie even; to say it was a tragic ending to a beautiful day would a fact. Haley and Nathan sat at either end of the table, Jamie and Jenny were next to each other on the ride side of the table, and on the left side sat Brooke, Julian on her left and Jake on her right. The children were chattering away incessantly; they were already best friends, as is the custom of children, but the adults didn't speak.

Julian's eyes were wary the whole time. He knew that something had happened between Jake and Brooke when they'd been friends in New York; he could see every feeling they'd ever shared in the meaningful glances they sent to each other and the way his lips softened every time she said something silly that only he could hear. Julian Baker was officially jealous, and he felt ridiculous.

Nathan sighed, his glance shifting from the eyes of his gorgeous wife to the looks the producer was sending toward Jake. Nathan knew that look too well; it had been his for a long time, and he wondered idly if Jake would be Julian's Chris Keller.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Twenty minutes later the children were upstairs in Jamie's room playing, while the five adults were sitting in the living room, still mostly silent as they eyes one another. Haley and Nathan sat next to each other on the loveseat, their fingers clasped tightly. Brooke and Julian sat next to each other on the couch, while Jake had pulled a chair from the kitchen and was currently sitting between both couples.

Haley sighed, leaning her forward, and began tapping her nails on the coffee table, while Brooke was busy bouncing her foot and trying to ignore the awkwardness of the situation. Jake looked around at the other four people in the room with a frown on his face, "I think I should get Jenny home."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief and Brooke nodded, "Yeah, we should get going too."

Julian stood, pulling her with him, "Yeah I think it's well past our bedtime." He looked over at Jake with a smirk on his face, "Brooke has a certain routine before the two of us go to sleep."

"Julian!" Brooke smacked his arm and glared at him, pissed that he would even hint at their sex life in front of her friends, although if she were honest with herself, she would have realized that it his mentioning their sex life in front of **Jake** that really bothered her.

Nathan glared at Julian, more convinced than ever that the spunky brunette should end up with his brother; he was still unsure as to why he felt this edgy and unwelcome feeling when it came to the producer, but he'd changed his mind about Julian being what she needed. Brooke stormed off toward the coat rack as Haley yelled up the stairs for Jamie and Jenny, and Julian gritted his teeth, knowing he'd screwed up.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Brooke pulled her jacked tight around her, smiling down at Jamie and Jenny. Jake and Julian put their jackets on too, Julian still shooting uneasy glances toward the young father and trying to think of ways to get Brooke to forgive him.

"Aunt Brooke," Jamie said softly, his eyes full of pure innocence, "Can you take me and Jenny to the carnival tomorrow? I wanna see the clowns." Haley grimaced, "Pleaseee?"

Brooke laughed and glanced at Haley and Jake, both nodded, "Sure thing, munchkins," she got down on one knee and her voice dropped to a mere whisper as she leaned closer to the two children, "As long as you both promise not tell on me if I give you** lots** of sugar." Both nodded enthusiastically, and she smiled at them, holding out her pinkies; both children instinctively linked theirs with hers, grins on their rosy faces.

Julian reached for Brooke's hand as they exited the house; she flinched away, but, upon seeing his sad look, she placed her hand back in his, sighing. Jamie smiled, watching them leave; soon enough he'd be ready to set his plan in motion. In the end, his godparents were going to be together; he just knew it.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jenny led the three adults outside, a bounce in her step. Brooke and Jake both laughed at her antics while Julian just held on tightly to his girlfriend's hand; he wasn't sure what it was, but he was certain something dark was on the horizon for them, something involving Jake Jagielski.

Brooke suddenly stopped walking, and both men frowned, "I forgot my sketches at the store," she turned toward Julian with pleading eyes, "Will you run by and get them? I want to catch up with Jake and Jenny? Pretty please?"

Julian smiled though his eyes were guarded, "Sure, anything for you." He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

She grinned, "Thank you!"

She bounced off toward Jake's car, picking up Jenny as she went, and neither man could help but picture her with children of her own. Julian glanced over at the other man, noticing the wistful look on his face, "Don't forget…She's **my** girlfriend…"

Jake frowned, looking startled at the hostile tone. "I'm not…"

Julian shook his head at the other guy and stomped off to his car, not seeing the frown on Brooke's face as she watched him from the passenger seat of Jake's car, and he drove off toward the store.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Just twenty minutes later they arrived at Brooke's place. Brooke smiled as she showed them the many rooms of her house, getting many compliments on the decorations she'd bought with the house.

Brooke grinned as she opened the door to Peyton's former room, "Jenny, this is where you'll be staying." Jenny looked pensive, "What do you think?"

The little girl grinned, "I love it, Aunt Brooke!" She frowned slightly, "I really missed you when you were gone…"

"I missed you too." She got on her knees and wrapped her arms around the little girl, "You will always be my Jennybug, no matter where we are, or who we're with…We're soul mates."

Jenny grinned and pulled away from the hug, "Can I go play now?"

Brooke and Jake both grinned, "Go right ahead."

Jake smiled, "I forgot how good you were with her." Brooke nodded sadly, "So, where am I staying?"

"You're right up the stairs to the right. I'm on the left."

They headed up the stairs and she showed him his bedroom, then she showed him hers. Jake began walking around, looking at all the pictures she'd placed on the walls as she went and sat on her bed.

He picked up a picture of Angie, "She was beautiful, Brooke." She nodded, knowing of whom he was speaking. "I'm sorry you couldn't keep her."

"So am I."

Jake sat next to her on the bed, silence falling between them.

Brooke sighed and laid back on the bed; he smiled and did the same, only inches between them as they stared up at the ceiling, "Is this weird? This feels weird."

He sighed, "It doesn't have to be. We've done this before…just been friends."

She nodded and rolled onto her side, facing him, "I think about it sometimes, us I mean."

"Me too," he faced her as well. "I wonder what would have happened if you'd stayed that night…I think I might have fallen in love."

She shook her head, "I don't think you would have; you were still hers – even then."

He stared into her eyes, "Brooke…"

Outside, they could hear the sound of thunder and lightening clashing and the sound of rain pelting itself against the rooftop, and they both smiled, thinking of their first loves and those wonderful kisses in the rain. Their eyes glazed over, and, for just a moment, they leaned closer, their foreheads touching.

"…You're always saving me, Jake."

He lifted his hand, tangling it in her hair, and he leaned in…

Neither of them even noticed Julian standing at the open doorway, daisies in his hand and a dejected look on his face. One tear slid down his face and he walked out of the room, throwing the flowers in the trash and her sketches on the table as he left.

Brooke smiled and rubbed her nose against his in an Eskimo kiss, "Do you remember that night in New York when we spent the entire day in bed like this, just talking?"

He nodded and sat up, "We were best friends. All three of us."

"Yeah, we were."

Jake stood up, "I should really go to my own room before your boyfriend gets back." Brooke frowned at the mention of Julian, "I think he feels intimidated. He loves you, Brooke. Don't let him forget that he's the one you love."

She smiled and nodded, "I won't…" She frowned, "He should be back by now…"

TBC…

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**AN:** I am so sorry that this sucks! But I really wanted to give you guys a chapter. I will try to have a less sucky one up by next Sunday.


	13. Better Days

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN:** I've got the next 7 chapters planned but not written. I promise lots of drama, and both Brucas and Brulian fans will have some things to look forward to.

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**Chapter 13: Better Days**

"Daddy, can I ask you a question?" Jamie asked softly, his eyes aglow as he thought of all the fun he would have with his aunt and his new friend Jenny.

Nathan smiled, rubbing his son's head affectionately, "Sure, buddy. What's up?"

"Do you think that Aunt Brooke and Uncle Lucas will get married someday?"

Nate's lips turned down into a frown, "Well, I suppose that's up to them, little man…Why do you ask?"

Jamie looked down sheepishly, "I think they love each other, and I want to help them be together…" He looked up at his father expectantly, "I have a plan to get them together, but I can't do it alone."

Nathan looked down at his son with confusion and surprise, "You came up with a plan? Are you sure you're my kid?"

Jamie tilted his head, confused, "Why wouldn't I be your kid?"

Nathan chuckled, "Never mind…So, what's this plan of yours, JimmiJam?"

The little boy's brow furrowed, "It's sort of a secret," Nathan nodded, "Can you take me to the River Court Saturday morning?"

The older man nodded, "Sure, son…" He looked at his son thoughtfully, "If your mother asks…I had nothing to do with this. Deal?"

"Deal."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

"So," the small blonde said quietly, "What's your favorite color?"

Brooke laughed at the random question, glancing up just in time to see Sam and Jenny get on another ride; she smiled thoughtfully, thinking of what an amazing sister Sam would be. "Um, green, no blue…no, red. Definitely red."

Jamie smiled and nodded thoughtfully, "What about your favorite flower?"

Brooke raised her eyebrow, "What's with the third degree?" Jamie looked at her innocently, "What are you up to?"

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Peyton sighed as she stared into the mirror, all morning she'd been thinking about Brooke and the silly fight they'd had. It had been days since the two friends had last talked, and though she was still upset with Brooke for belittling her relationship with Lucas, Peyton knew that it was time to bury the hatchet and move on. Besides, if their friendship could handle three guys and two psychos, then it could most certainly survive a few means words.

"Lucas!"

Luke ran in the room, a worried look on his face, "What's wrong? Is it the baby?"

She smiled, "Nothing's wrong…I just, I wanna see Brooke."

Luke smiled, his eyes filled with love, "Sure. Let's go."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jake sighed as he sat down on the couch in Brooke's living room. He'd been up half the night, tossing and turning in bed because of the storm outside; he'd been unable to get his mind off of Peyton. The storm had clouded his mind with images of the night Lucas had called him and he'd come home to take care of her. That night everything changed for him; that night he fell in love for the first time.

His head shot up at the sound of a knock on the door; he figured, having found flowers in the trashcan this morning, that it probably wasn't Julian, speaking of, he made a note to himself to make sure that he tells Brooke about them later.

He opened the door, a small smile on his face, "Hey…" His face fell, as did the face of the person standing before him, "Peyton…"

"Jake?" Peyton and Lucas both said loudly, shocked to see their old friend was in town…and in Brooke's house.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Brooke laughed and shook her head, having been questioned for over an hour by her lovely godson, "I'm done. No moreeeeeee."

Jamie pouted, "Pleaseee, Aunt Brooke? I need to know this stuff."

"Why would you possibly need to know where your uncle and I had our first date, and how did you even know about that?" She raised her eyebrow at him and began walking toward the tables where Sam and Jenny were currently sitting.

Jamie rolled his eyes, "I have my sources," Brooke shook her head at him and he pouted.

"Sorry, buddy. How about we go and get some ice cream, guys? What do you say?" She looked down at the two children and the teenager, watching as all three of them broke into broad smiles, "Come on munchkins." She put her arm around Sam as they walked, and Jamie did the same with Jenny, putting a smile on the two older brunettes' faces.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Peyton still looked shocked, ten minutes later, "What are you doing here, Jake?"

He shrugged, avoiding her gaze, "I just missed home, and Brooke offered me a place to stay for a few days. It's really not a big deal."

Luke smiled, though he was as confused as Peyton by why Jake was staying with Brooke of all people, "Well, it's good to see you, man."

They all sat on the couch, an uncomfortable silence falling over them.

Peyton stood up, clearing her throat, "Well, I think we should go. I'm getting tired."

Lucas and Jake both looked at her confused and Lucas sighed, "We just got here, Peyt…"

"Luke…"

Luke nodded and shrugged at Jake, "I guess we'll see you later, man."

The other man nodded, a slight frown on his face, "Sure."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Nathan smiled down at Haley, "You do realize that we have the whole house to ourselves right?"

She smirked and pulled him down on top of her in the bed, "Well, I do now."

She tilted her head up toward him and placed little kisses along his jaw, grinning when he began running his hands along her legs.

"I love you, Nathan…"

His lips met hers in a passionate torrent, both of them losing themselves in the kiss. He broke away for a moment, attempting to catch his breath, "No one will ever love anyone as much as I love you, Haley James."

"Scott." She smiled, "Haley James Scott."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jake sat back down on the couch, his mood completely ruined by the appearance of his blonde ex-girlfriend; Brooke had told him the night before of her pregnancy and engagement, and even though he most certainly did not come back for her, he couldn't help but feel a little saddened by it. There was a part of him that had always believed that he and Peyton would get their "someday."

A few seconds later, there was another knock at the door, and Jake sighed loudly as he stood up. He rolled his eyes as he opened the door and was rewarded with a fist in his face. Jake hit the ground hard, a bruise already forming over the left portion of his face.

"Don't ever touch my girlfriend again…or I'll **really** make you regret it…"

Jake looked up just in time to see Julian striding away to his car, and he sighed as he held his eye, painfully, "This is really **not** my day!"

TBC…

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**AN:** Next chapter Brulian talk. Jamie moves onto step two of his plan. Something surprising happens at the end.

Thanks for reading and reviewing guys! You are amazing!!


	14. Wake Up Call

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **Hope this isn't too horrible!

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**Chapter 13: Wake Up Call**

Brooke sighed as she, Jenny, and Sam stepped through her front door, the day wearing on them heavily. She smiled softly at Jake who was lying on the couch; she walked over to him, his face buried beneath one of the throw pillows, and shook him.

"Wake up sleepyhead. We're home."

Jake groaned and rolled over, knocking the pillow to the floor. Brooke's eyes went wide and she gasped, "Oh my gosh, Jake, what happened to your face?"

Jake sighed and sat up, thankful that Jenny was in her makeshift bedroom and couldn't see his new black eye, "Your boyfriend happened to my face…"

"What? Why would he do that?"

Jake tilted his head back and pointed toward the kitchen where he'd laid the flowers he'd found in the trash, "I found those this morning after you left, then he showed up and the rest is history." Brooke was seething; she stood up, clenching her fists, "Brooke, wait…"

She turned, "What? I can't just sit around while he acts like a jackass; he had no right to do that to you."

Jake looked at her like she was a child, his eyes slightly condescending, "He had every right to hit me, Brooke." She looked over at him like he was an idiot, "I think he saw us together last night…"

She frowned, her forehead creasing slightly, "But nothing happened!"

"It doesn't matter. I'm sure it didn't look like nothing."

She sighed, sitting down heavily on the couch, "I'm really sorry about your eye."

He shrugged with a small smile, "Eh, a black eye's nothing. I'm more worried about him…" He looked down sadly, "A broken heart hurts worse."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Lucas smiled down at his nephew, watching the way he ran with an unstoppable amount of energy; he couldn't wait for his own little girl or boy to be born so he could spend afternoons out like this, "So, what do you want to do today, J. Luke?"

Jamie smiled deviously, "I just want to go for a walk today." The older blonde nodded, "Hey, Uncle Luke, can I ask you a few questions?"

He smiles down at the little boy, "Sure thing, buddy. What do you wanna know?"

Jamie's straight to the point, "Why did you and Aunt Brooke break up?"

Luke's eyes went wide, "What? How do you…huh?"

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Brooke sighed as she stared at the door to his hotel room; she'd spent the last hour and a half trying to decide whether her first course of action was going to be yelling at him or apologizing. She groaned slightly and knocked on the door; she could hear him walking around inside, things being kicked around on the floor.

The door opened slowly, "Brooke…"

Brooke's fist shot out and caught Julian's right eye.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxxX**_

Haley frowned, "I don't see why you don't just call and apologize to her? I mean, you say you don't want to fight anymore, but here you are, avoiding her."

Peyton frowned, sitting in front of Haley and Nathan with a groan, "I was going to…but when Luke and I showed up at her house, Jake was there. How could she have not told me he was back in town?" She shook her head angrily, "And he's staying with her?! Since when are they even friends?"

Nathan frowned, "From the sound of things last night, they've been talking for the last three years or so."

Haley glared at her husband, stamping on his foot when she saw the slightly distraught look on her blonde friend's face, "But they are **just** friends…and I'm sure the only reason she didn't tell you was because she didn't want you to get hurt." She frowns at Peyton, "He's not the same guy he was before he left, Peyton. There's a certain sadness in his eyes now, and I think Brooke was scared to take away that image you had of him, you know?"

Peyton sighed, looking down with tears in her eyes, "I didn't know what to think; the door opened and suddenly I was face to face with my first love, and I completely froze. I don't think I even told him I was happy to see him…and I didn't even ask how Jenny was."

Haley smiled slightly, "Jenny's great. She's gotten so big…"

The blonde frowned, "You've seen her?"

Nathan nodded, "They came for dinner last night with Brooke and Julian…It was the most awkward meal I've ever had..."

Peyton shook her head, her gaze broken and lost. Haley lowered her voice as if there were people around that she was trying to keep a secret from, "Peyton, you don't still…love him do you?"

Peyton's gaze shot up, her eyes staring straight into Haley's, "Hales, I…"

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Julian reeled back, holding his eye, and suddenly Brooke felt horrible for hitting him. She sighed, "I'm sorry…I was just so mad at you for hitting Jake when he did nothing wrong…"

"How can you even say that to me, Brooke, that he did nothing wrong? After he kissed you?"

"I didn't kiss Jake…We were just lying together; it's not a big deal."

"It's not a big deal? Really? Would it be a big deal if it was me and Peyton?"

Brooke glared, "Jake and I are just friends! Nothing more."

He rolled his eyes, "Now! You are just friends now! You can't honestly tell me that there was never anything between you guys…"

She hesitated, "It was a long time ago, Julian. I love you…"

He shook his head, his eyes sad, "That's not good enough, Brooke. I won't be someone's second choice – not again."

"You're not! Please, just give me a chance to explain." Julian looked down, then nodded slightly. She sighed, "When I was in New York, my mother made me feel like I was inferior, and sometimes I couldn't handle it. I remember there was one night where she'd made some horrible comment about me being talentless, and, for whatever reason, that comment hit me hard. I went back to my apartment, laid down on my bed, and cried."

Julian nodded sadly at her, "What does that have to do with Jake?"

She exhaled sharply, "That night I couldn't calm myself down; Victoria had hurt me so much…and I remember feeling the weight shift on the bed next to me. And there was Jake – we just laid there, sometimes he hugged me, and other times he stayed on the complete opposite side of the bed." She looked down, "I know it must have hurt you to see us together like that, but I swear, nothing happened. There was no kiss; and I swear to you, there was **never** going to be a kiss. I love **you**."

He nodded his head toward the door, his eyes hauntingly sad, "Leave."

Brooke's eyes widened and tears sprang behind her eyes, "What?"

"Just go, Brooke…I can't do this right now."

The flood of tears released and she ran from the room, her sobs becoming increasingly louder. Julian stood in front of his still open door and one tear fell down his cheek, "What have I done…?"

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Peyton knocked on Brooke's door for the second time in two days; her mind a torrent of thoughts. Her mind ran in circles, thinking of Haley's question, and she shook her head in anger, hoping that Nathan didn't mention the conversation to Lucas. She definitely did not need to have another conversation with her fiancé like the one they'd had the other day about exes; **that** was pure Hell.

Jake answered the door a few seconds later wearing an apron, "Peyton, hey." He smiled.

Peyton frowned at his black eye and apron, but quickly threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you how happy I am that you're back…I really missed you, Jake."

He pulled back, a small smile gracing his lips, "I missed you too, Peyt."

"Tell me all about Jenny! I've missed that little girl."

"She's great. She's gotten so…"

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Tears continued to course down her face as she stared at the river; her mind a mess of why's and how's. From behind her, she could hear footsteps quickly approaching; she turned, hoping to see Julian.

"I knew I'd find you here…"

Her face fell even more and she fell to her knees. Within seconds she was in his arms, "Shh…it'll be okay."

She shook her head against his chest, gripping his shoulders tightly, "I think Julian broke up with me…"

He frowned and held her tighter, carrying her over to the benches near the court, "It'll all be okay, Brookie. No one can resist your charm…"

He smiled, trying to lighten the mood, but she wasn't having it, "You're **so** right," sarcasm, "the only people who have been able to 'resist my charm' were Lucas, Peyton, MY MOTHER, and the people at the adoption agency…But you're so right."

She gripped him tighter, unable to hold herself together, "I'm sorry, Brookie." She nodded against his chest, "Well, you know that I'll always love you, right? You're my best friend."

She smiled slightly, "Yeah, I do know that…Chris. And I love you too."

TBC…

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**AN: **Read and review! Next chapter takes place a week later. Jamie's plan finally happens! And Jake/Peyton talk some more.


	15. Only Hope

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **So, I've had lots of Brucas and Brulian fans BEGGING for their ship to be together, and I've had surprisingly a lot of Bake and Bris shippers, so I started thinking, and maybe I've been a LITTLE hasty in saying that there are only two possible ships for Brooke. I've decided to just keep going to way I'm going and she'll end up with whoever she's meant to be with – any ships are possible at this point.

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**Chapter 15: Only Hope**

Brooke frowned as she listened to her godson's angelic voice on her answering machine asking her to meet him at the River Court, since her last talk with Lucas she'd been avoiding it; she chuckled softly as she hit the delete button and picked up her keys.

"Chris, Sam?" she called loudly, knowing that the two were probably either discussing some obscure band or Sam was beating him at poker, something the young girl seemed fond of doing. She smiled to herself as she realized that just one week ago she was a mess, crying and moping around the house, and somehow the musician and her teenage daughter had managed to completely break her of her whining. She walked by Sam's room and grinned; the two were playing _Connect Four_, and Sam was, as always, kicking Chris's butt.

She popped her head in the door, her dimples popping, "Hey, guys, I'm gonna head out for a bit. Behave!"

Chris saluted, somehow managing to hit himself in the head, while Sam just grinned and gave a little wave. The petite brunette grinned at the sight and headed up the stairs to tell Jake that she was leaving, but she knew it'd be weird – everything had been weird between the two since she and Julian had last talked, or rather, since he'd told her to leave.

"Jake, you here?" she asked softly as she entered the room he was currently sharing with Chris. She frowned, her hazel eyes taking in the sight of his bags, now packed and lying on the bed. She heard a sigh behind her and shook her head, "You're leaving?" She turned and faced him, "Were you ever going to tell me?"

The dark haired man sighed and entered the room, one of Jenny's bags in his hands, "Brooke, my parents offered me a place to stay while I try to find a house down here; you were right, Tree Hill will always be home. I love it here, but my staying with you has already caused you enough grief, so I'm gonna stay with them for a while."

"But why? You shouldn't leave just because of…" she hesitated, her heart aching as she thought of him, "because of Julian?"

"Because it's too hard…" he ran his fingers through hair, avoiding her gaze, "When I came back it felt right; you were my best friend, you **are** my best friend, but you're so much more than that."

Brooke frowned and took a step toward him, having never seen this side of him before, "I don't understand."

He reached his hand out and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear, "I can't stay here and see you every day, not when I'm this conflicted."

"Jake…"

He leaned forward and placed his lips against hers softly. "I could wait forever for you, Brooke Davis. But we're just friends, right?" he whispered against her lips.

Brooke's eyes widened and her hand fell to her lips as Jake picked up his bags and walked out of the room. She licked her lips and sat on the bed, barely hearing the sound of the front door opening and shutting. The house seemed eerily quiet then, and the hazel-eyed brunette suddenly felt a jab in her heart as she remembered that she already had a man in her life, the man she hoped was the one for her. And even if he was trying his hardest to push her away, she knew he loved her, and they would fix this; they had to. She sighed as she stood and headed for the door; she had a date with a beautiful little blond boy, and she intended to keep it.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Lucas's eyes widened as he glanced around the River Court; he, too, had gotten a call from Jamie to meet him. The entire court had been painted red, and hundreds of pictures lay taped across the court and on the benches.

"Oh my god…what the hell is all this?" he heard her raspy voice say loudly behind him. Her face was a mixture of shock and awe, and her eyes shined greener than usual.

He turned, his gaze trapping her, "My guess - Jamie. Did you get a cryptic message from him asking you to meet him here?"

Brooke nodded and knelt to the ground, pulling one of the pictures from the cement. Her gaze softened and she lifted the picture into Lucas's line of sight. She handed it to him and he smiled softly as he gazed at the image of Brooke, Angie, and himself.

"What's that?" Brooke asked, pointing to a piece of paper hanging from the pole of the basket. They headed toward it, Lucas placing the picture she'd handed him in his pocket.

Lucas picked up the sheet of paper, a grim smile on his face as he read aloud, "'So, I know you're both going to be very angry when you see this, but I made a promise to my son, and I had to keep it.'" Brooke frowned and she read silently over Lucas's shoulder. "'Jamie seemed convinced that you two belong together, so as his father I had **no choice** but to help him. At least talk to each other. You both know you deserve the closure.'" Both of them stared sadly down at the piece of paper, remembering Brooke's last words to Lucas about not being friends. "'And Brooke, remember, 'it's not easy getting back in the ring with the one that knocked you out in the first place.' – Nate.'"

Brooke stepped as far away from Luke as she could, remembering the day Nate uttered those fateful words the first time, helping her make her decision to get back with the brooding blond during their senior year of high school, "I should get going…Sam's waiting for me…"

"Brooke, wait!" She glanced back at him. "He's right, you know…we need to talk. I don't want to lose my friend…" She hesitated, then nodded slowly. Lucas frowned, glancing back down at the piece of paper, "What did that last line mean? About getting knocked out?"

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Nathan frowned, suddenly wondering if it was such a good idea to interfere with the Brooke/Peyton/Lucas love triangle of doom; he'd promised Haley that he wouldn't interfere, but when Jamie had asked for his help, he'd been unable to say no. He glanced over at a picture of Peyton and Brooke holding Jamie, and he suddenly felt like slapping himself in the head, "She's pregnant, you idiot! I am so stupid…"

He sighed and headed toward the bedroom, suddenly changing his mind about wanting to get the bubbly brunette and the brooding blond back together, and he hoped idly that both Brooke and Lucas got car trouble and ended up not going to the River Court.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Brooke frowned, replaying Nathan's words over and over in her head, and didn't answer him. She slowly walked along the court, her head filling with hundreds of memories as she glanced at all the pictures of herself and Lucas. She spotted a few from the Nathan and Haley's second wedding and she smiled sadly, "Do you remember that night?" She pointed down at the picture of them dancing, her, as always, dressed in red, not noticing the sad smile on Luke's face as he looked down at it as well.

"Yeah. It was the last time we really talked about what our relationship meant. The last time we really talked at all…"

She shook her head, "No, you're wrong. That's not what it was." He glanced up at her, confusion in his bright blue eyes. "It was the last time our relationship had any meaning. It was the last time I truly felt like you loved me…God, how long ago that was. It's so strange to think that we once thought we were in love…"

Lucas reached out and laid his hand on her shoulder, "Brooke…I did love you. It wasn't something I just thought – it was real."

She rolled her eyes with a slight smile, "It doesn't matter, Broody." They both frowned at the use of the old nickname, thinking back on how angry she'd gotten at him the week before when he'd called her 'Cheery,' "Sorry…Lucas. I only brought it up because we look almost happy there." She smiled wistfully.

He frowned in confusion and looked into her eyes, "We **were** happy."

"I wasn't."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Were you in love with her?"

Jake glanced up from the picture of himself and Brooke that he was currently looking at to see Peyton standing directly in front of his mother's kitchen table. He nodded slightly, his gaze dropping at her hurt expression, "I think so…Someday took too long, Peyton."

"So, you just fell into Brooke's arms?" She raised her eyebrow, "Or maybe it was her bed?"

He dropped the picture he was looking at, "That's not fair! To me or to Brooke."

She nodded, feeling guilty, "You're right; it's not fair…But you **never** called me, not once in the last 5 years!" He glanced down, his eyes filled with guilt as well, "But you called her? You spent time with her and checked in on her, and she got to watch Jenny grow up…but you completely cut me out!"

"I sent you home so you could be with the guy you loved, Peyton! You could have picked up the phone too, you know!" He stood up, angrier at her selfishness than he had been in a long time, "Grow up."

Peyton glared at him, her head screaming at her to just walk away and never come back, while her heart was begging her to just give in to him and go back to the way things had been years before, when she'd asked him to marry her when she'd visited him in Savannah. Suddenly, as she looked into his eyes she couldn't help but remember the way his lips had once felt on hers, the way his body had melded with hers perfectly, "Jake..."

He shook his head and took a step back, "I've moved on…And you're engaged to Lucas..."

She looked down in guilt and shame, wringing her hands in front of her. She shook her head slightly, "I don't care…"

And unexpectedly her lips were on his, moving in frenzy. Jake fell into her for a moment, unable to stop the lust that threatened to overpower him, but seconds later he pulled away, angry at her for making him feel the way he did, "You're engaged! We can't do this…We won't."

Peyton's eyes filled with tears and she stepped away, "Oh god…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…I have to go."

She ran for the door then, her sobs causing her entire body to shake, "Peyton, wait!" he called after her, but she didn't look back, and he didn't follow her – that wasn't his place anymore.

His eyes filled with tears and he sat back down, his gaze falling between two pictures: one of him and Brooke in New York outside of some pub they'd visited and the other of him and Peyton in Savannah playing with Jenny.

"What are you doing to me?" he whispered.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Brooke?"

"It doesn't matter, Luke. Just drop it; I shouldn't have brought it up."

Lucas squinted, deciding to try and get answers about something else he'd always wondered about, "Why'd you say no to Julian?"

She glanced up, shocked that he would even bring it up, "Excuse me?"

"That answer you gave Peyton was a lie, and we both know it. It's not because you aren't ready. You can't lie to me…I know you too well, Pretty Girl."

Both of them stopped, Brooke's breath caught in her throat, "What did you just call me?"

"Sorry," he dropped his head, "…Come on, Brooke. Why'd you say no?" She shook her head and sat down on one of the picnic tables, glancing down at the pictures. "I know you're mad at me, but we **are** friends, Brooke, no matter what you may feel or believe right now. You can always tell me anything…"

She shook her head again, "No, Luke, we're not friends. We were **never** friends…" She looked up into his eyes, her gaze serious, "Never…" She sighed, looking at the ground again, "And I'm not mad at you."

"That's what you always say; you claim you aren't angry, but you still have to punish me for whatever I did wrong, and I'm not even sure what I did this time…"

She furrowed her brow, "What are you talking about? When have I ever said I wasn't angry and then 'punished' you?"

He sat next to her, "That night at Haley and Nathan's second wedding, you claimed you weren't mad at me, but you just gave up on us a few days later; you pushed me away."

"**I** pushed **you** away?! Are you kidding me?! You're pathetic, Luke…It's been years and you **still** don't get it!"

"Get what?"

"I wasn't mad at you! I was hurt that the boy I love still didn't really know me…You never knew me."

Luke looked up, angry, "I knew you…you were my everything, but you left me when I needed you most." Suddenly he looked up, his gaze confused, "Wait…you said love, not loved."

Her eyes filled with tears and she stood up, "No, I didn't! And you know what, we are **not** having this conversation! You're marrying my best friend soon, and she's having your child…It was high school, Luke. Grow up."

Suddenly his lips were on hers, her tears sliding down his cheeks, and she quickly pushed him away, "Stop doing this to me…" she took a step away, her hand covering her mouth as if she would be sick, "This isn't okay. We're adults now…This isn't like that night in New York. Go home…Go home to your fiancé!"

"Brooke…I'm…"

"Don't, Luke. Let's just forget this happened. It's over."

He glanced into her eyes, blue smoldering into green, "No, Brooke, it will **never** be over…"

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Peyton glanced up, quickly wiping away her tears, as Lucas entered the door, and he looked about as bad as she felt. Guilt coursed through her for kissing Jake and yet she couldn't bring herself to regret it.

Little did the pretty blond know that her fiancé was having very similar thoughts – his about her best friend.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Brooke stepped through her door, the tears staining her cheeks with mascara, "I hate men. I think I might become a lesbian," she whispered softly, her eyes meeting Chris's from across the room.

He chuckled softly at her mention of being a lesbian. "What happened, Brooke?"

"Lucas Scott happened."

His arms wrapped around her, and, for the second time that week, he simply held her as she cried her heart out.

TBC…


	16. There For You

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **Dude, so many angry Brulians and cheerful Brucasers! I was dying with laughter when I read the reviews and PMs people sent me. Next chapter is primarily Brulian. Brooke's gonna learn what it means to fight for someone romantically.

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**Chapter 16: There For You **

Brooke groaned as she woke up; her head was aching painfully and she was having trouble keeping herself from falling back asleep. She rolled over to the other side of the bed but was stopped by the feel of another body lying next to her. Her eyes got huge and she immediately looked down at herself; she breathed a huge sigh of relief when she realized that she was, in fact, wearing pajamas. She squinted and reached over, pulling the comforter off of the man next to her and let out a giggle of relief when she saw that Chris Keller was her mystery man. His arms and legs were wrapped tightly around her pillow, and she let out another giggle at the sight. She quickly hopped off the bed and ran downstairs to get her camera, believing that Sam was the last one to use it.

"Sam, where's the camera?" she asked the sleeping girl as she shook her slightly.

Sam groaned, covering her head with a pillow, "Leave me alone."

Brooke grinned, poking the girl's side, "Come on, Sammy. Where is it?"

"On your nightstand! Go away!"

The older brunette laughed as exited the room, hitting the play button on the younger girl's radio as she went, giggling to herself when Sam let out at a whine at the sudden sound of screaming guitars and whining lyrics. She started up the stairs again, this time with Sam in tow.

"This better be something important. You shouldn't wake a girl from her beauty rest unless there's an emergency," the younger girl growled as she followed her foster mom up the stairs.

Brooke scoffed, "Yeah, yeah. Come on."

Both girls entered the room and immediately Sam started laughing at the sight before her. Brooke picked up the camera, from exactly where Sam said it would be, and started taking picture after picture. Sam raised her eyebrow, surprised that the flash wasn't waking the sleeping musician. He was snoring lightly, and the way he hugged the pillow was similar to how a child would hug their favorite stuffed animal or security blanket.

Both girls grinned when he suddenly sat straight up, "What do you want, Brookie? Go away!"

Brooke laughed and gave him a look, "You realize that you're in **my** bed right?"

Chris frowned and looked around him, "So I am." He shrugged and his head fell back on one of the pillows, and, within seconds, he was back asleep.

Sam rolled her eyes and walked back toward her room, "Moving on already, are we?"

Brooke frowned at her foster daughter, "Nothing happened, Sam."

She shrugged, "Right."

Both girls frowned then, hearing a banging on the front door. Sam shook her head and walked back to her room while Brooke answered the door. The older brunette half smiled at the person on the side of the door, slightly shocked to see her standing here, "P. Sawyer, hey."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Julian sighed as the actors in front of him and Luke attempted to perfect the Brooke and Lucas fight scene from Nathan and Haley's wedding. Lucas kept glaring at the actors, angry that none of them seemed able to understand the intensity behind the scene.

Luke shook his head, angry, "Stop." Everyone looked over at him, confused because he'd never stopped a scene before. Reese rolled his eyes, shooting a glare at Julian for giving Lucas creative control, "You're not doing it right. Brooke wasn't mad about the kiss. She was…hurt that the boy she loved didn't understand her; that he never really knew her."

The actors and actresses all glanced at him in awe, none of them knowing that the words he was speaking belonged to the fashion designer herself. Julian, on the other hand, wore a frown as he looked over at Lucas, noting a certain sadness in the other man's eyes. Up until this point, the brooding blond had pretty much stayed out of the way when it came to actually shooting the movie; he'd only interfered a few times before when he felt as if Peyton wasn't being portrayed right. He had never gotten in the way of a Brooke scene before. Julian shook his head, something was up.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Peyton sighed as the two girls sat comfortably on the couch, "You were right about me and Lucas; we needed to talk all that stuff out before we could promise our hearts and our lives to each other…I'm sorry I cut you out, B."

Brooke nodded but no words escaped her mouth, her thoughts kept veering toward the impromptu kiss she and Lucas had shared the day before on the River Court, and, even though she hadn't kissed him back, the guilt was eating her alive. The brunette's gaze fell to a picture on the wall of the two girls laughing, and a sad smile fell on her lips, "I missed you, P. Sawyer, almost Scott."

Peyton nodded, "Me too, B. Davis, almost Baker."

As soon as his last name slipped from the blonde's lips, Brooke was unable to hold back the tears she'd been repressing for the last few days. Until that moment, she hadn't accepted that she and Julian were really over; there wouldn't be an engagement, or a wedding, or little babies with her dimples and his grin. None of it existed anymore. He was no longer hers.

Peyton's arms slipped around Brooke like a vice, both comforting and calming all at the same time, "What happened, sweetie?"

Brooke buried her head in Peyton's shoulder, dampening her shirt with a cornucopia of tears, "Julian broke up with me…"

Peyton's eye grew wide and shocked, "What? Why? You two seemed so happy…" But if she was honest with herself, she would accept the little bit of relief she felt that they would never get married. She knew she didn't love Julian Baker, but that didn't mean it would be easy for her to watch him promise his forever to her best friend; not when he'd left her all alone once upon a time.

The petite brunette grew quiet then and extracted herself from the bottle-blonde's warm embrace, "He uh, he thinks something happened between me and Jake." The skinny blonde glanced down and it became evident that she already knew at least part of the history between the two. Brooke wiped at her tears, "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Peyton nodded, "Kind of. I went to his parents' house to talk to him and there were pictures of you guys all over the table; he was reminiscing. I asked him if you were ever in love, and he didn't really give me a straight answer…" Her eyes were sad, "Why didn't you tell me that you guys were in touch all these years? I missed him so much."

"Because I felt like I was stealing something from you. Even if you were with Lucas, it felt like Jake would always be yours…But he became my best friend when I was in New York. He, Chris, and I would go see silly plays that none of us were interested in, and they'd sing duets together in bars, making them appear very gay, but that was just us. We were silly and fun and," her face fell then, "I fell for him, sort of."

Peyt shook her head, not angry, but hurt, "Sort of?"

"We…kissed the first night I went to Savannah. And it was amazing and we had this passion, but it didn't matter. I wasn't going to let myself fall for him; not when he already belonged to you emotionally…so I left that night and we went back to just email chats for a while. Eventually we started hanging out again, but it was hard, seeing him and thinking of what might have been; thinking of what I'd given up."

"Is it still hard?"

Brooke shook her head almost immediately, "No, I love Julian – I do. And Jake is…just a friend. That's all we can ever be. That's all I want to be." She avoided her friend's gaze, thinking of another kiss she'd never share with her blonde friend, "Are you mad?"

Peyton shook her head, tears in her eyes, "No, I'm not mad. But I need my best friend now, Brookie. I made a huge mistake."

The fashion designer nodded, "What is it?"

"I kissed Jake last night…"

Brooke's eyes shifted from their usual green to a dark brown almost instantly, anger and a bit of remorse shining through, "What? You cheated on Lucas?"

The other girl nodded, gnawing on her bottom lip, "And the worst part is, I know he would **never** do something like that to me…"

"Actually, Peyt…I uh…"

Peyton shook her head, standing and wiping her tears away, "I'm sorry I kept you out so long, best friend. I love you."

Brooke nodded, her eyes filling with tears as she thought back on that unexpected kiss with Lucas, and the even more shocking one with Jake, and she quickly wrapped her arms around the blonde, "I love you, P. Sawyer. No matter what…"

Peyt nodded and headed for the door, "Later, BFF."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

"You're a fraud, you know that, right?"

Brooke glanced up at Sam, shocked that she would say something like that to her, "What are you talking about?"

Sam glared down at her, "You told me that love is amazing and hard and wonderful and painful, and that, no matter what, I should fight for it…But here you are, sitting on the couch moping. Julian loves you. Fight for him!"

The older brunette looked up, sad, "He doesn't want me to, Sam."

"Then make him! You're Brooke Davis…he wants you to fight; to show him that he's the guy that owns your heart. Not Lucas or Jake or…anyone else. He needs to know before he can trust you again."

Brooke nodded, an idea forming in her brain, and said hesitantly, "I may need your help with something…"

Sam nodded, "Of course I'll help. I want my parents back together…"

TBC…


	17. Like A Star

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **Lelina, Albert, and everyone else who reviewed or commented – I love you all! Without the encouragement from all the ships, I would have deleted this a long time ago. Have hope guys – her heart will lead her to the one person with whom she's meant to be.

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**Chapter 17: Like a Star**

Brooke sighed, glancing down at the box she'd dug from the back of her closet, and began removing the dusty objects. There were several pictures of her and Lucas during their senior year, kissing and hugging and touching and simply being in love for the first time. There were also the letters he'd written for her, most of them sweet and loving, while a very small few of them were dirty and had the ability to instantly arouse her. She smiled to herself as she pulled the _Keith Scott Motors _hoodie from under the letters; holding it against her cheek and breathing in the scent, that after all this time, was still purely Lucas. She let out a small laugh as she laid the hoodie back down; getting giddy with remembrance. She smiled sadly as her eyes fell on four sealed letters all addressed to Lucas Scott. She pulled each of them from the box, one at a time. Her eyes were helpless as she gazed upon the four letters she never had the courage to give him; each letter written taking place after some life altering event.

Letter number eighty-three was written the day of the school shooting she'd gone on for seven pages, telling him how much she loved him and hoped that his heart would survive losing Keith – how she hoped that **she** would survive losing Keith. There was an entire page detailing the petty jealousy she'd felt when he ran back in that school after Nathan and came back with Peyton in his arms. She chastised him for leaving her alone and putting himself in danger; she told him how she'd prayed for the first time in years for everyone's safe return and how she'd cursed God when the news of Keith's death reached her. Some of the words were illegible because she'd cried the entire time her pen was on paper, but it didn't matter. Brooke Davis would never write a letter more honest or more loving than this one because that was the day her entire life crashed down around her, never to be completely fixed again.

Brooke smiled as she picked up letter eighty-four, written right after she'd ended things with him their senior year, when she'd believed that she might be pregnant but was too scared to admit that to even herself. The words she'd written to him were heartbreaking and breathtaking, and she almost wanted to open the letter and reread the simple phrases she'd written him, but she wouldn't do that. Reading his letters would be a betrayal in her eyes, even though she was the one to write them.

Eighty-five was written after prom, detailing how scared she'd been when she'd been faced with Ian and how happy she'd been that he came to check up on her that despite the way she'd hurt Peyton. Again, she mentioned how much she loved him, and how she sometimes wished that things were different but that she would never tell that to Peyton. She spoke of how handsome he looked, and how she almost regrets ending things with him, almost.

Her eyes filled with tears as she glanced at letter eighty-six, the last letter, the one she'd written after Luke kissed her in New York. She half smiled, remembering that she'd signed this letter different than all the rest; she'd signed it with a kiss and the words, "_Lucas Scott is the only boy I might have lost it for._" She shook her head, laying the letter on her bed in front of her, knowing that her last words in that letter wouldn't mean a thing to the writer; he'd never understand.

Brooke looked at her bed, feeling gloomy, and began placing the items back in the box. As she laid the last letter inside, she whispered softly to herself, "I'll always love you, Lucas Scott, but I'm done putting my life on hold for you…Today I'm gonna fight for something new and wonderful; thoughts of you won't hold me back from falling in love any longer…" She smiled and shrugged slightly, "I'm done."

Brooke smiled to herself and pushed the box under her bed before rushing off to the bathroom to get ready; tonight was the night that she would change her stars and fight for what she wanted.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

He stared down at her beautiful face as she slept, the guilt of his betrayal weighing heavily upon him. The blond-haired, blue-eyed boy frowned and gently swept a strand of hair from his fiancé's face; even now, when they'd been together on and off for years, she was still one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. His gaze softened slightly and one of his hands fell to her stomach; the stomach that was currently nurturing his unborn child.

Lucas sighed and sat up with his back against the headboard, his thoughts returning back to his ex-girlfriend and the impromptu kiss they'd shared out on the River Court a few nights before. He watched Peyton sleep, his chest hurting with the knowledge that if she ever found out what he'd done, their relationship would end, and that couldn't happen. That couldn't happen because Lucas Scott loved Peyton Sawyer, and he had since the day she almost ran him over with her comet.

Lucas's eyes darkened ever so slightly and his quiet voice echoed through the silent room, "But maybe it's not enough…to love her." He shook his head, "Because not only did Brooke Davis change the world, but she changed mine." He let out a soft laugh of desperation, "She's the girl that got away. No, the girl **I let** get away…"

He stood, quickly throwing on his clothes, and hopped into his mustang. This had to finish. One way or another. With her or without her. His head had already made a decision; it chose Peyton. But now his heart had to make a decision before it was too late and he ruined all of their lives.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Julian stared up at the aging building with a look of trepidation; he shook his head, sure that Sam must have gotten the address wrong. She'd called him a little over an hour ago, when he'd been in the middle of a meeting, and told him that she'd snuck out to some party a few hours ago when Brooke was in her room and needed a ride home. She'd cried and begged and, being the softy that he is, Julian had dropped the entire meeting to come to the aid of his…whatever she was to him now.

The producer frowned when he reached the door, the soft and melodic music he heard wasn't what he was expecting from the way Sam had sounded on the phone; he's expected loud drums and screaming words, none of which he could hear. He laid his head against the door, listening as the song changed and the voice of a young girl replaced the old love song that had been playing before. He recognized the song immediately as _6 Months_ by Hey Monday; Sam had made him listen to it weeks ago, saying that she believed that his relationship with Brooke was a direct example of the song. He smiled sadly, listening to the words:

_You're the direction I follow to get home  
When I feel like I can't go on, you tell me to go  
And it's like I can't feel a thing without you around  
And don't mind me if I get weak in the knees  
'Cause you have that effect on me, you do_

_Everything you say  
Every time we kiss, I can't think straight  
But I'm okay  
And I can't think of anybody else  
Who I hate to miss as much as I hate missing you_

_Months going strong now, and no goodbye  
Unconditional, unoriginal  
Always by my side  
Meant to be together  
Meant for no one but each other  
You love me, I love you harder_

He frowned, knowing that if the song represented their love, then he was the one singing; she didn't love him nearly as much as he loved her. That much was evident to him.

He stepped through the door and his eyes grew wide. On every wall of the house, words were painted. Quotes from movies and television shows and books and songs scattered the walls; screaming words of love into the open air. His eyes landed on lyrics by Edwin McCain, and he grinned; that was his favorite love song:

_The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful  
Stop me and steal my breath  
Emeralds from mountains thrust toward the sky  
Never revealing their depth  
Tell me that we belong together  
Dress it up with the trappings of love  
I'll be captivated  
I'll hang from your lips  
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above_

_Rain falls angry on the tin roof  
As we lie awake in my bed  
You're my survival, you're my living proof  
My love is alive not dead  
_

And Brooke knew that. There were several other songs on the wall that he recognized as he began exploring the house: _Never Let This Go_ by Paramore and _Always Be My Baby_ by Mariah Carey. He smiled when he reached the dining room and noticed the array of flowers and candles, and he inhaled sharply when he heard the voice from behind him.

"I didn't know what your favorite kind of flower was, so I went with roses. And we never really talked about your music preference, so I went with the sappiest ones I could find. And you never said what your favorite color was, so the paint on the walls is green because I feel like it suits you…I still don't know you, the things that make you tick or cry or laugh, but I don't want to lose you. I made a huge mistake when I walked out of that hotel room; I should have pushed and shoved and fought for you…I love you, Julian Baker; I really do."

He turned, his eyes filled with tears, and his jaw dropped at the sight of her. Her dark hair was pinned up in loose curls, revealing her face which wore just the right amount of makeup, and the dress she wore clung to her body in all the right ways; she was simply stunning. And, in his eyes, at that moment in time, Brooke Davis was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on, but he couldn't escape the voice in his head that screamed that she wasn't really his and never would be.

"But are you in love with me?"

It was then that her smile faltered, "Julian…"

"Because if you are, you should have said yes. It's that simple, Brooke."

Brooke's tentative smile turned to a grim frown, "It's **not** simple; there is **nothing** simple about this situation. I know I screwed up when I let myself get so close to Jake, but it didn't mean what you think it did." Her eyes softened and she stepped closer to him, "I promise."

He scoffed, taking a step back, his eyes surveying the interior of the house again, and, for a second, he almost forgave her. He shook his head, his eyes both angry and hurt, "You don't get it – it's not about Jake Jagielski or Lucas Scott or even Peyton Sawyer – our problems, our issues, are because of **you**."

Her eyes widened and she took a tentative step backward, "That's not fair…I spent a week working on this place for you. I have been working my ass off trying to find a way to make you see that I am finally ready to fight for what I want, and I want you."

"You know what's not fair? How about the fact that I was willing to move here to this crappy little town **for you** and give up my entire career **for you**, and all you had to say about it was, 'I'm not ready'? You take and take and take! You don't love me, and you sure as Hell didn't do all this," he gestures to the room, "for me. You did it for you – to ease your guilt."

Tears began making their way down her cheeks and her mascara left a thin trail on her radiant skin, "I never asked you to give up your entire life for me…And, for the record, this is not about guilt." Her voice broke slightly and she dipped her head to hide her face, "I did all of this because I wanted to fix us. I wanted you to see that I'm serious about us, that this isn't some game to me…God, I was a fool to think that I could actually have found love."

She turned and walked away, hitting one of the vases of roses as she went. The vase hit the ground and the sound of glass breaking was all Julian could hear for a moment. It couldn't end like this; he couldn't let things with her end this way.

"Brooke!"

She turned back around, her face broken and pale. She shook her head at him sadly.

"You're the one for me, Brooke. But if you can't even look at me and say that you're in love with me, how can we ever hope to work?"

She walked back to him, taking his right hand in her left, "Love takes time. It takes patience. It's the most painful thing in the world and also the most pleasurable. My heart is fragile; it's breakable, but I'm willing to risk it. I'm ready to throw myself into this relationship fully, and someday I will be able to say that I'm in love with you, but, for now, why can't it be okay that I'm trying? I'm trying…So, tell me – is there a chance for us?"

Julian avoided her gaze for a minute, his eyes searching the walls for advice and finding only clichés and fairytales. His deep brown eyes lifted, finding her hazel ones, "I love you, I do. But I need a commitment; I need to know that this isn't just…that I'm not just a replacement or a second choice."

Brooke smiled but her in her mind she wore the biggest frown. Because she was about to tell the biggest lie. "You're not my second choice. You're the only choice."

Her mind shifted to that box of letters and pictures and she had to concentrate to keep the smile on her face. Brooke's eyes dropped to the ground when Julian put his arms around her, thinking to herself silently, _"Brooke Davis is a fraud. She's a liar. She may love two men, but her heart only belongs to one." _Tears fell down her cheeks and she tightened her grip around his neck, holding him closer. _"This is wrong…He shouldn't be my number two."_

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Lucas's fists slammed into the door, and, though he knew he should be worried about neighbors and the teenage girl on the other side of the door, he couldn't seem to care. All that mattered was that he talk to Brooke.

He took a step back when the door was suddenly opened, revealing a very disheveled Chris Keller. Chris raised his eyebrow, "Oh look, it's the brooder who can't seem to keep his hands off of my best friend. What do you want?"

The blonde frowned, confused, "What are you doing here, Keller?"

Chris laughed quietly, "Sleeping."

Luke glared at him, his face completely serious, "Why are you here?"

"I live here. I have for a few weeks actually, but you would have known that if you hadn't screwed over Brooke again."

The brooding blond shook his head, "I didn't…"

"It doesn't matter," the musician's face was completely calm. "It doesn't matter why you kissed her, none of it matters anymore. You destroyed her; you always do." Luke's face dropped, pain in his eyes, "And the worst part is that I was hoping for the two of you to get back together; I have believed, since that stupid boy draft date that the two of you belong together, but I was wrong. You're with Blondie, and, unless you're planning on dumping her and the kid and losing all of Brooke's respect, I suggest you go home."

Luke sighed, thinking of his pregnant fiancé, "I can't. I can't go home until I know for sure that I made the right choice."

Chris's gaze fell, "She's not here, but if you really want to know just how much of her life you've managed to destroy so far, look under her bed." The brunette turned and walked back to his bedroom, praying to gods he didn't even believe in that he was helping more than he was hurting.

Lucas walked up to her bedroom slowly, not really sure if he wanted to see what Chris was offering him. He knelt next to her bed, the scent of her perfume nearly overpowering him, and his eyes immediately fell on the large box underneath. He ran his hands across it slowly and pulled it from beneath the queen sized bed. A smile fell on his face when he opened it to reveal four letters addressed to him.

"She does still love me…"

TBC...


	18. Dreams

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **Okay, so I've had a lot of people ask me where my chapter titles come from because some of them seem not to make sense. I choose song titles for the chapters – some of them, the titles make sense with the chapter, and other times it's the lyrics themselves that do. And just a hint for the Brucas fans, check out the lyrics for the song title I used in chapter 17 – in my opinion – it's very Brucas.

And I am soooo sorry that this update took so long, but I got banned on the lounge, and I was feeling very uninspired. A few really great friends helped me with that though; Lelina, her Brulian heart is still beating strong – very inspiring. Shannon (who doesn't even read OTH FF), she gave me quite a few great ideas that will be coming up in a few chapters. Bert, who ALWAYS writes me amazing reviews, and who has also given me a pretty great idea that will be in one of the upcoming chapters. Thanks everyone else so reviewed as well! I really appreciate it.

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**Chapter 18: Dreams **

Brooke raised her eyebrow at the tall musician; his face was covered in what could only be known as guilt, "What did you do this time?"

He frowned and threw his hands up, "Uh, don't freak out. But I sort of…did something you asked me not to do."

Her brows furrowed further, "Okay? Well, what did you do?"

"Promise you won't get mad?"

She gave him a look, "No."

"Oh come on, Davis. I don't wanna tell you if you're just gonna get all mad…"

She rolled her eyes, "Spit it out, Keller. What did you do?"

His eyes strayed, lifting toward the stairs, looking in the exact direction of her bedroom, "…I sort of broke your vacuum."

"Damn it, Chris!" She gave him a look of exasperation, "I told you not to use it if you didn't know how!" Her voice sounded angry, but he could see the relief in her eyes; the sight made him angry at himself for showing Lucas where her box of stuff she'd kept from their relationship was located.

"I thought I did! But then it blew up!"

Brooke's eyes widened, "Define 'blew up.'"

His expression grew even guiltier, "Uh…take a look in the living room."

Brooke shook her head and walked toward the room he'd named, and, as soon as she entered, her jaw dropped. The entire room was covered in dirt and grime and dust. She glanced up to see that there was even dirt up on her ceiling and on the highest parts of her walls. She shook her head, her eyes angry, "Chris, you have three seconds to run before I murder you!"

And immediately they both took running, he sprinting as fast as he could, trying to avoid her grip, and she trying her hardest to grab any part of him.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jake sat up slowly, his eyes shifting around his high school bedroom while his mind ran in circles thinking of the two best friends who had both somehow managed to capture a portion of his heart. He could hear Jenny and his mother in the kitchen making breakfast, and the sound of his beautiful daughter's laughter brought a broad grin to his lips. Because if there was one thing of which Jake Jagielski was sure, it was that he would forever love his daughter. He could wait forever for romantic love, for a wife and the white picket fence, because as long as he had his little beauty, the rest didn't matter nearly as much.

He stretched as he walked into the kitchen, pressing a kiss against his mother's cheek and wrapping his daughter into a tight hug. He grinned down at her as she hugged him just as tightly, "What are you doing, munchkin?"

She smiled a toothy grin, "Grandma's teaching me how to make pancakes with chocolate chips in them." Her smile grew, "Did you know that those are Aunt Brooke's favorites?"

Her eyes were so innocent that his smile faltered slightly, "I sure did."

He winked at her and sent a grin his mother's way as the sound of someone knocking on the door caught his attention. He walked over to the oak door and quickly opened the door, not really expecting the person who stood on the other side.

Julian looked at Jake, his gaze neither angry nor friendly, "We need to talk."

Jake nodded and stepped out the front door, shutting it softly behind him. He glanced down, "I'm sorry for what you saw between Brooke and me; she's my best friend, and I…"

Julian rolled his eyes and lifted his hand to stop the flow of the single father's words, "That's not why I'm here."

Jake frowned, his eyebrows coming together in confusion, "Then why are you?"

"I'm in love with Brooke, and we're back together." Julian glanced back at his car, not seeing the look of pain that covered Jake's face. Jake quickly composed himself as Julian looked back at him, frowning, "I'm not going to let anything come between us again." He gives the other guy a knowing look, "You may love her, but **she** loves **me**. Don't forget that…she chose to be with me. I won't let anyone ruin that this time."

Jake opened his mouth, his eyes both hurt and angry, "Good. But if you so much as make her cry **once**, I will destroy you." Julian looked up, shocked at the other man's bluntness, having been convinced that this man lacked a backbone, "I'm a nice guy; I don't start fights, and I usually wouldn't do something like this. But let me get one thing straight; that girl, that **woman **is the most important person, other than my daughter, in my life. She is my best friend, and she is the most beautiful person I have ever met, in and out. I will not let you hurt her, and, if you ever try, they won't find your body for weeks."

Julian took a step back, not sure what to say. Lucas had mentioned this man several times in the novel, always describing him as nice, dependable, friendly, and loving. He never once mentioned Jake being in a fight or even raising his voice at someone. The producer glanced down, remembering just how much time could change a person, how much Brooke Davis could change a person. And when he looked into the eyes of the man before him, he didn't see the young teenager that was simply looking for love, he saw a man who would do anything for the girl he already loves, the girl that Julian, too, loves.

He glanced up at Jake, his look defiant, "I would never."

Jake quirked his brow, a habit he'd surely gotten from being around Brooke, "Good."

Julian glared at the other guy and headed for his car, planning on catching up on a bit of sleep since Brooke told him that she was going to be busy with the new line.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

The teenager's eyes widened comically and tears pricked behind her eyes as she began giggling, her body contracting with her laughter. The first thing she'd seen when she arrived home from school and entered the living room was the sight of Brooke straddling Chris, her hands holding his wrists tightly above his head, both of them covered in dirt and dust. The older brunette looked up, cocking her eyebrow at the younger girl, but kept her hands wrapped tightly around the blonde musician's wrists.

Sam shook her head with a laugh and began walking toward her room, "I'm not going to ask."

Brooke looked back down at her captive, a small smile covering her annoyed look. Her grip went limp and her right hand made its way to his chest, stroking the silver necklace she'd just noticed, "Aw, you kept it?"

Chris grinned, glancing down at the plastic ring attached to the silver chain, "Well, yeah. My best friend threw that at me on our second date."

She giggled and shook her head, "You deserved it! You called me a cow!"

He groaned, "I did not! I said you were heavier than I remembered." She glared down at him and yanked his head up by his hair, "That's not an insult!"

Brooke rolled her eyes and let go of his hair as she stood up, grabbing his hand and pulling him with her. She glanced around the filthy room, but her eyes were unfocused and sad. Her eyes met Chris's and she frowned, "Chris, I…"

His lips bent down at the corners as he looked into his best friend's eyes, feeling the serious air that had just taken over the room, "What is it, Brookie?"

"What if this is wrong?"

Chris furrowed his brow, "What if what is wrong? I don't get it."

"All of this," she gestured to the room, her right hand lying immobile on her stomach. "What if I made the wrong choice…" she shook her head, not meeting his gaze, "Chris, I think I'm…"

Sam burst into the room then, effectively silencing the rest of Brooke's statement. "Brooke! Have you seen my left shoe?"

Brooke exhaled sharply and pointed to the left, and, sure enough, her shoe was sitting in front of the couch.

Sam frowned, sensing the tension in the room, "Is something wrong?"

Brooke quickly shook her head, her eyes pleading with Chris to keep his mouth shut. "I'm gonna go out for a bit; I'll see you two later."

The teenager and the musician both frowned as they watched her scurry from the room, slamming the front door behind her. Sam looked over at him curiously, "Is she okay?"

Chris shrugged, his eyes thoughtful, "I hope so."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Peyton sighed for the seventh time as she stood there, staring at the door before her. She'd already been there for twenty minutes, but she'd been unable to get the courage to knock. She frowned and started breathing slowly in an effort to calm herself; her hand made its way to the door and she rapped on it softly.

Within seconds she found herself face to face with Julian, "We need to talk."

He nodded and opened the door wider, both their faces apprehensive, "Sure, come on in."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Nathan frowned down at the beautiful brunette whose feisty expression was currently burning through him. He took a step back, and she took two forward, her expression angry and hurt.

"Brooke…"

She shook her head, her eyes not softening, "Don't. You knew how I felt, Nate…why would you send me out there unprepared? Why would you do that?" Tears of anger filled her eyes and she glared at him harshly, "I've been trying to pretend like it didn't happen for the last week or so, but I can't anymore. Just tell me why…"

"Because you love him."

"I love Julian," she glanced down, her eyes sad, "Any feelings I had for Lucas are gone. They have to be."

Nathan shook his head, "No, they don't. If you two are meant to be together then…"

Brooke cut his words of sharply, "Don't you dare spout my own words back at me. Those words mean nothing. Lucas Scott and Brooke Davis do not belong together. This isn't some fairytale," her eyes softened, "…it isn't _my_ fairytale."

"Did something happen between you and Lucas?"

She glanced away from his probing gaze, "He kissed me." He raised his eyebrow as if he expected more. "That's all that happened. I won't be the girl who throws away a lifelong friendship over a guy who never knew how to truly love me. I can't be her again."

Nathan frowned and pulled the petite brunette into his arms, "I loved you when you were that girl, and I love you now." He pulled back, looking down into her sad, hazel eyes, "And I am sorry…"

"I know you are," she sighed quietly and pulled away completely, her eyes searching, "Is Hales here?"

He shook his head, "Nope, she took Jamie with her to the grocery store. Is something wrong?"

She nervously pulled on the hem of her top, "No, no, no. I'm great." She gave him her famous grin and started walking for the door, "Have her give me a call."

He frowned at her retreating back, his mind trying fervently to figure out why she had bolted from the room so quickly. He shook his head and walked toward the bathroom to take a shower; he'd figure it out later.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

The blond frowned, her eyes taking in the sight of the small hotel room, "You really love her right? She's the one?"

He frowned, his eyebrows lowering slightly, "Peyt, why are you asking me this?"

"I was mad at her for being with you. I said it was okay, that I had moved on…but I was so mad." She shook her head and sat on the edge of his bed, "Why Brooke?"

"She's charming and beautiful and…"

She cut him off, "I don't need some speech about how great she is! I just need to know why you went after her…why you left me and then went after her."

"Peyt…"

Her eyes were sad, "We were happy in LA, and you just left. Why didn't you trust me enough to stay?"

He sat next to her, taking her hand in his hesitantly, "You loved Lucas."

"But I loved you too!"

He shook his head, tightening his grip on her hand slightly, "But you were in love with him…"

Julian sighed then, letting go of her hand, realizing that maybe the real reason Brooke was unable to love him had nothing to do with the single father who had just popped back into the picture. Maybe it had everything to do with Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer.

He stood up, his eyes slightly harsh as sudden realization hits him, "That's why she won't say she's in love with me..."

The brooding blond frowned and raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

Julian shook his head, swallowing hard, "Nothing…" His brow creased, "Why are you really here, Peyton? To rehash our painful history?"

"I need closure. I love Lucas, but things with us just ended so quickly that I'm not sure I even truly had a chance to move on…" she glanced at the door, "You never trusted me."

His eyes were hard and his voice even harder, "You never gave me a reason to trust you."

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Brooke's hands were shaking as she knocked on his door, the small box in her pocket reminding her of an anvil; she could almost feel it weighing her down as her panic began to take over. She hadn't spoken to him since their impromptu kiss. Because, if she was honest with herself, she wasn't sure how she felt about it. There was something about the way his lips felt against hers, the way his body seemed to match hers perfectly, the way he made her feel when he held her hand and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

Seconds later he opened the door. They stood there, neither of them moving. Her eyes filled with tears, though she wasn't quite sure why. She looked down at the ground, almost scared of what she would see if she looked too deeply at him.

"I need you."

He nodded, pulling her into his arms immediately. He inhaled deeply, the scent of sweet vanilla filling his nostrils and reminding him of all the times he'd been the one to comfort her, all the times she could have been his but their fear got in the way. He took her by the hand, leading her back to his bedroom. They sat on the bed, unmoving.

She tilted her eyes toward him, "It wasn't fair for you to kiss me."

He frowned, his eyes meeting hers, "It wasn't fair for you to leave me alone after I kissed you…"

"I'm not talking about the kiss in Savannah."

He nodded, "I know…but I am."

She rolled her eyes, but her expression was guarded, "There were never supposed to be feelings between us. I was caught off guard."

"And you don't think I was?" She shrugged, not really sure how to answer that, "I had only ever been in love with Peyton, but then you showed up and it was like all the pain that she and I inflicted on each other didn't matter anymore. You made me forget the pain…"

One tear slid down Brooke's cheek, "And you made me remember mine."

He wrapped his arms around her like he had dozens of times before, his head resting on her shoulder and she buried her face in his neck, "When did it all change? When did I fall?"

She frowned into his neck, her fingertips drawing patterns on his back, "New York changed everything. It changed me, it changed you, and it changed love." She gripped him tighter, "I fell too…You were someone new for me; the opposite of what I thought I wanted." She pulled away, looking at the pictures of Jenny on his wall, "You made me want a family. You changed everything."

He laid his head on hers, his arm making its way around her shoulder, "You changed my heart."

She smiled at his words, glancing at more pictures of Jenny. Slowly her smile faded, "Jake…"

She pulled away from him, standing. Her eyes were terrified as she pulled the small box from her hand, placing in on the palm of his hand. His eyes widened as he looked down at it, and his heart constricted in his chest.

"Are you?"

She shrugged, her hands shaking, "I don't know. But I can't do it alone…" She looked down at her hands, "I know this isn't fair to you, but Haley was busy and I didn't know what to do…"

Ho nodded, handing the box back to her, "It's okay, Brooke…You deserve to have a family."

Her eyes followed his to the small box, and both friends stared down at it, fear in their eyes as they reread the words: _pregnancy test._

TBC…


	19. Flying My Guilt Over A Quilt

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **Soooo, I hope all the Bake fans enjoy this chapter! And I really hope that everyone else resists their urge to murder me. Haha.

Thanks so much for reading; you all mean the world to me. This chapter is dedicated to a few good friends. Lelina! Bert! Shannon! My new friend Tiffanee! And of course cute little Artemi!

****************************************************************************

**Chapter 19: Flying My Guilt Over A Quilt**

_Twenty-nine seconds._

He tightened his grip on the petite brunette as the clock ticked along slowly. Her eyes were frightened and gaping as she stared down at the small stick; he glanced at the timer and sighed quietly.

_Twenty-seven seconds._

She placed her right hand on her stomach and leaned into him, reveling in his calming scent. She'd almost forgotten how warm his arms were, how easily she forgot the world when he was around. She glanced away from the small stick, their eyes meeting. Hazel versus brown.

_Twenty-three seconds._

He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, smiling softly, "_There are days when she's all I think about. I picture her sweet smile and innocent eyes and suddenly this life doesn't seem so hard. The monotony of this lifestyle doesn't matter anymore, and I feel secure. I only wish the two of you were here. I miss waking up and knowing that you're just a room away if I need you."_

Brooke's eyes softened and tears entered her eyes, "You remember?"

He nodded, "It was your seventh email; you sent it a few weeks after you visited me in Savannah. I read it over and over again, hoping that it would somehow change the way you looked at me. I wanted you to see me as something more than Peyton's ex…"

_Seventeen seconds._

"You were never **just** Peyton's ex. I was just scared of letting myself fall for another person who knew Peyton Sawyer." She glanced down sadly, the pregnancy test forgotten, "I'll never be her."

"I don't want you to be. I never wanted that from you. I wanted the spunky girl who wrote me silly emails about her evil mother and the girl who traveled all the way from New York to South Carolina in order to taste the 'world's best strawberry cheesecake.' That's the girl I wanted…The girl I want."

_Twelve seconds._

Her breath caught in her throat and she ran her fingertips over the soft stubble on his cheek. He rubbed his cheek against the palm of her hand, closing his eyes. She licked her suddenly dry lips, her voice soft in the quiet room, "Your first email was beautiful. There was such poetry in your words. You talked about your daughter like she was this untainted beauty; you said that nothing in the world would ever compare to her smile, and nothing in the world would ever tear your heart apart like the sight of her tears." Brooke's eye shined brightly as she pulled her hand away and looked deep into his gaze, "And the first time I heard you singing in that bar, I fell so hard. Your music and your soul were intertwined that night, and I felt like I knew you in a way that no one else ever would. Because you wrote to me, you were only mine." She glanced down, "It was silly, I know."

_Three seconds._

He shook his head, "No, it's not silly."

She inhaled deeply and her gaze fell to his lips as he slowly dipped his head, their lips only a hairsbreadth away, "Jake…" her voice shook slightly, even as her eyes began to drift closed, "We can't…"

_DING._

Brooke slammed her eyes shut at the sound of the timer going off, and Jake slid himself away from her on the bed. They stared at one another for a moment, guilt and lust pulsating in their blood. Her breathing was raggedy as she pushed her feelings for the single father away and picked up the small stick. Tears sprang to her eyes as she looked at it, shaking her head at him in a way that revealed nothing.

Jake walked over to her then, laying his hand on her shoulder as if there hadn't almost been a kiss moments before, "So what's the verdict?"

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"So what's the verdict? Are we playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band?"

Sam raised an eyebrow at the over-excited musician, "Is there a difference?"

Her eyes shifted to the blue-eyed five year old next to her who was nodding wildly at her as if her question was absurd. She grinned at his animated face and glanced back at the musician, seeing that he was just as thrilled, and his silly grin was just as large and bright as the small boy's. She rolled her eyes with a small laugh and fell back onto the couch, figuring that she'd just let the two _boys_ figure it out for themselves.

Jamie, who was about a third of Chris's height, pointed to the Guitar Hero CD case, "Uncle Skills always plays it with me, but he's not very good." His bright smile faded slightly, "Aunt Brooke used to play with me too, but she's been very sad lately."

Chris and Sam exchanged a look, both confused by the cheerless tone of the small boy's words. The moody teenager gave a small smile and picked up the Guitar Hero box, "So, are we gonna get this party started or what?"

Jamie's dower mood immediately lifted at her words, and within minutes he began giving her pointers on how to effectively hit the keys at the correct time. Chris smiled slightly at the sight, though his eyes remained worried, the blue darkening slightly as he thought of the beautiful brunette that had become his best friend over the years.

Chris stood, ruffling first the young boy's hair and then the teenaged girl's. He smiled innocently at the annoyed look Sam gave him, her eyebrow raising in a fashion that was far too much like Brooke. He shook his head of the thought and started for the stairs, his curiosity over what exactly Brooke kept in her "Lucas Box" suddenly getting the better of him.

Within seconds he stood before her closed door, his hand resting flat against the grainy wood. The moment he entered the room, he was assaulted by feelings on nostalgia. There were pictures everywhere, scattered and random, and her bed was covered with a scarlet comforter. But what really caught his eye was the laptop lying in the center of her bed; he smiled, immediately recognizing the sticker on the front cover: _The Keller Instinct._ He glanced at it, his memories swimming fondly in his mind, and for a moment he almost forgot his reason for entering her room.

He shook his head to free himself from his memories and kneeled next to the bed, his fingers grazing the box gently for a second before he slid it from beneath its confines. The box was exactly as he remembered, completely bare on the outside but filled to the brim with memories on the inside. He opened the box slowly and frowned at the sight of the letters he knew inhabited the box.

He groaned aloud and closed his eyes, "Damn it." He ran his fingers gently against the envelope for letter eighty-six. He could feel his anger burning brightly within him as he silently fingered the open envelope, shocked that Lucas would use Chris's suggestion to look at her memory box to read her private letter. He glared at the box as he quickly shoved it back under her bed and whispered softly to himself, "She's going to murder me…"

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_His eyes were hard and his voice even harder, "You never gave me a reason to trust you." _

Peyton frowned at his harsh tone, "**You** never wanted to trust me. You were just waiting for something to go wrong with us!"

The producer rolled his eyes and shook his head angrily, "You cannot seriously be blaming our breakup on me!"

"You left me!"

"Damn it, Peyton!" She jumped slightly at his aggravated tone, "You owned at least twenty copies of that damn book by the time I left." He shook his head sadly, "You ruined us…All I did was finally admit that it was over." His gaze softened, "And maybe that's what I need to do now?"

Peyton shook her head, confusion sweeping across her face, "I don't understand; I thought you guys were happy?" She rolled her eyes before he had a chance to answer her, "Brooke loves you. Whatever it is that's bothering you at the moment, get over it."

He looked at her indignantly, "It's not that easy."

"Yes it is. If you love her, then you have to get over it."

He swallowed hard and looked into the blonde's eyes, "She kissed Lucas."

Julian sat back, his eyes shocked as Peyton burst into a sea of giggles. Within seconds, tears began streaming down her cheeks and she gasped for breath, her laughter continuing to flow from her lips.

"Peyton!"

She covered her mouth to stop the next influx of giggles, "I'm sorry…but do you really expect me to believe that Brooke and Lucas kissed? I mean, come on, be serious."

"I am."

Her smile fell slightly, "They didn't…They wouldn't…He loves me."

He shrugged, his eyes drooping slightly, "Maybe he does, but he still kissed my girlfriend." His eyes fell to her hands which were now shaking as they lay against her flat, but pregnant, belly. "There's more."

Peyton nodded for him to continue, though they both knew that she secretly wished he wouldn't, and inadvertently held her breath, afraid of what might happen once his next words were released into the warm night air.

His gaze dropped even further, following patterns on the worn carpet, "I found letters in a box under her bed, they were all addressed to him."

She shook her head then, a sigh of relief billowing from her lips, "She wrote him those letters in high school, Jules. Brooke just has this thing about throwing memories away; she says that every hardship she has ever faced was for a reason…and that's what Lucas was, a hardship, a memory. She **doesn't** love him now; maybe she never really did."

"She loves him, Peyt." He groaned and stood, his eyes alert and angry, "I thought this entire time that the guy I had to worry about losing her to was Jagielski…I mean, after seeing them in bed together, their lips so close to touching, I was sure that she still had warm, fuzzy feelings for him, but after seeing that kiss and then reading those letters, I'm not so sure anymore."

Peyton's eyes grew wide, her mind having blacked everything out past Julian's words about Jake, "Brooke slept with Jake?"

Julian immediately shook his head, trying to remove that thought from his mind, "No, but I thought I saw…I don't know. I just feel like she'll never be mine. There's always going to be someone standing in our way…someone she loves more than she'll ever love me."

Peyton's eyes made a sweep of the room, her heart hurting from the knowledge that her fiancé and best friend had kissed and, if she was honest with herself, the knowledge that her first love may have found love elsewhere. She gasped slightly when her eyes landed on his end table and tears entered her green orbs. She stood on shaking legs and ran her fingertips along the ticket lying near the phone.

She swallowed back the lump in her throat and rubbed at her eyes, trying to hide her tears, "You're leaving? When are you coming back?"

"I'm not." He frowned, not looking at her, "My father offered me the deal of a lifetime, Peyt. I can't stay…"

"What about the movie?"

He sighed, looking up at her, "Most of the production is done, but I'll come back if I'm needed." He quickly wiped a tear off his cheek, "This is something I have to do."

"And Brooke? What about her?"

"She doesn't need me…"

Silence consumed the room as heartbreak began to build within the two former lovers. Because in that moment, it became clear to Julian that the decision he was making was the right one. Brooke didn't need him nearly as much as he knew he needed her.

Peyton stood, heading toward the door, "Lucas loves me…and Brooke loves you. Don't throw it away…no matter what you may think, they love us."

"No, they love **you**. And each other…"

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Do you still love her?"

Lucas sighed loudly, lifting his eyes defiantly toward his younger brother, "I love Peyton…"

Nathan raised an eyebrow, "I meant Brooke."

"I know."

Nathan groaned, frustration clouding his eyes, "You shouldn't have kissed her."

Lucas rolled his eyes, "**You** shouldn't have set us up."

The younger man glared, "Why do you always have to hurt her? Her heart is a mess, man. Figure out your feelings and quit playing games. She deserves better than that."

The brooding blond frowned petulantly, "I'm not playing games. I made a mistake…I love Peyton. I chose Peyton. Brooke's just…"

Nathan shook his head angrily, "Brooke's not **just** anything! Quit belittling her!"

"I'm not!"

"You don't get it man. She might not survive another broken heart. Especially not when you're the one to cause it."

The older man bit his bottom lip, his eyes squinting as he stared at a picture on the wall, "I never meant to hurt Brooke, not in high school, and certainly not when I kissed her the other night." He glanced down, his heart hurting slightly, "But she has this power over me…something Peyton never had." Nathan opened his mouth to speak but Lucas carried on as if his brother being present wasn't necessary for the conversation to continue, "But Peyton and I have this…this **thing** that just works." He shrugged slightly, "We belong together. She's my soul mate."

His brother scoffs, his voice sarcastic, "Wow, man, could you sound any more enthusiastic?" He rolled his eyes and shook his head, "If she's the one, then she's the one, but don't stay together because of fate or providence or whatever. Stay together for love…"

Lucas nodded, his eyes resting on a picture of Brooke and Peyton laughing together. His eyes looked less sure than they had minutes before as he uttered his next words quietly, "She's the one."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

The musician sighs, running his fingers through his hair.

"Maybe," he tried to reason with himself, "Maybe, **she** opened the letters. Maybe it wasn't Lucas…maybe she won't kick my ass for this…"

He dropped his head into his hands, groaning loudly, his voice echoing slightly in the large room. When he lifted his head, his eyes were again met with the sight of her laptop, and, though it was closed, he could see the light that signified that the power was on. His eyes scanned the room as he placed the computer in his lap, his curiosity getting the better of him. A small grin graced his face as he opened the laptop and found himself staring at several emails from either Jake to Brooke or Brooke to Jake.

He bit his bottom lip and began rifling through them, his grin growing by the second. His eyes softened as he read one that Brooke had written to Jake shortly after returning home to Tree Hill a few months ago.

"_I can still feel you,"_ he read aloud, "_You're everywhere, you and Jenny. I always see parents with their children, and she's always there. You're always there…I miss you." _He swallowed hard at the emotion she'd written, feeling a lump beginning to grow in his throat, "_Peyton called and asked me to come home, so I did. She needed me, like always…I just wish that her need of me didn't have to affect us; I still think about you. I hope that's okay to say?_

"_I bought a house for Peyt and me, and every time I hear her stomp down the stairs when she's in one of her moods, I half-expect to see you, all grumpy from something Chris said or extremely tired because Jenny had a bad dream. I miss seeing you in the mornings, but I guess we'll always have New York. I just wish it didn't have to end there. I miss you so much. Take care of our girl and make sure she knows how much I love her. And I still…you know."_

Chris sat there with a small smile on his face as he quickly reread the email, "Brooke and Jake?"

He shook his head with a grin and closed the laptop, practically skipping down the stairs where Jamie was now kicking Sam's butt at Guitar Hero. He sat behind them on the couch, his eyes gazing at them fondly as he thought of his two best friends getting together.

Sam turned gave him a silly grin, "Wanna play?"

He nodded and took the guitar from her, his grin never waning.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

The bubbly brunette nuzzled into the single father's chest, her fingers burying themselves in the creases of his shirt. Tears were pouring down her cheeks as they held each other tightly, his fingers drawing comforting patterns on her back. She'd been crying uncontrollably since they'd read the results on the pregnancy test, and his heart broke slightly at the sight. He glanced toward the door expectantly, his patience slowly dissipating; he'd called Haley about twenty minutes ago after Brooke's first wave of tears began, but she had yet to show up.

Jake pressed a kiss against the top of her head, "Shh, it'll be okay, Brooke…everything's going to be okay. I promise."

She nodded against his chest and her tears slowed slightly, "I'm sorry…I don't know what's wrong with me."

He smiled fondly at her, pulling back slightly so that their foreheads were touching, "There is **nothing** wrong with you. You're perfect…"

She inhaled sharply, her eyes shooting from his eyes to lips and back again. He gently rubbed his nose back and forth against hers, not noticing the confused pair of brown eyes watching them.

Haley cleared her throat loudly, and the two friends quickly pulled themselves apart, Brooke throwing herself into the small brunette's arms. Haley closed her eyes and held her best friend tightly, looking at Jake over Brooke's shoulder in confusion. He sighed quietly and held up the pregnancy test. Her eyes immediately focused on the tiny pink plus mark and she pulled back from Brooke, her eyes slightly unfocused.

"You're pregnant?"

Brooke nodded, rubbing at her tears, "Yeah."

Haley's gaze softened, though she still seemed confused, "Isn't that a good thing? That's what you wanted right?"

Brooke's hazel eyes filled with a fresh batch of tears, "We're not ready…**he's **not ready. I'm scared, Hales."

Haley pulled the other girl back into her arms, holding her tightly, "Everything will be okay, Tigger."

Brooke nodded against the other woman's shoulder and smiled when she felt Jake wrap his arms around her as well. She tilted her head so that it lay on his shoulder, not seeing the slightly worried expression on Haley's face as she did so.

**TBC…**


	20. She Talks To Angels

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **So, if I'm being completely honest, I have changed my mind about which guy Brooke is going is going to end up with, and I still have no idea!! One of the ships is going to be ending soon though (but who knows, I may change my mind and bring it back before it sinks completely).

I apologize if any of my information is incorrect in this chapter. One of my sister's is a nurse and the other is a medical assistant, so I'm taking their word on it; hopefully I don't screw it up too badly!

Hey, I haven't had time to check this for mistakes, so if you notice any, let me know and I'll be sure to fix them!

***************************************************************************

**Chapter 20: She Talks To Angels **

Her hazel eyes shined brightly as she gazed back and forth between the light pink walls and the man sitting next to her. She wrung her fingers, glancing at the door in apprehension. Fear ached in her belly as more minutes passed, leaving her and the man alone to wait for the test results. For three weeks she'd been living with the knowledge that she was pregnant, and for three long weeks, she'd been putting off this appointment with the doctor.

She sighed loudly and looked around the room, her eyes falling on a poster displaying a mother and father holding their newborn baby. She bit her lip as she looked at the picture, trying to imagine herself and Julian as the happy parents holding their new baby. Her eyes widened and her smile softened when the image became one of her and her baby; she frowned when she looked at the man in the picture, watching his eyes change from blue to deep brown and back again. She sat back in her chair as his entire face changed several times, going from sweet and pensive to moody and handsome and then to arrogant and beautiful.

"Brooke?"

She shook her head, freeing her mind from the confused thoughts and looked over at him, breathing heavily, "Yeah?"

"Everything is going to be fine; this is all just a formality. They just want to make sure that you and the baby are all right, okay?"

She nodded, though the fear bled through, "But what if it's not? They did so many tests, Jake…what if the baby isn't okay?"

No words escaped his lips as he reached over, taking her hand in his. She leaned against his side, entangling their fingers tightly as she fought to keep control on her breathing. He turned his head, resting his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes, her breath flowing raggedly through her lips. Both friends looked up quickly when they heard the soft knock on the door before the quiet squeak that announced the doctor's appearance.

"Mr. and Mrs. Davis?"

Jake raised his eyebrow and gave Brooke a confused look; she smiled sheepishly at him and nodded toward to the doctor, holding out her hand, "Dr. Stanwell, right?"

The older man nodded and shook her hand, "I understand that you've taken a home pregnancy test with positive results, yes?" Brooke nodded, "And lately you've been feeling some stomach pains and have been spotting, is that correct?"

Brooke nodded again, squeezing Jake's hand, "Yeah, for about two weeks now. I've been cramping and last week I still had my period. Is that a bad thing?"

The doctor sighed quietly and pulled a small stool from against the wall and sat, looking her in the eye, "Well, it's certainly not a good sign, but many pregnant women still spot during the early stages of pregnancy, and the blood tests my assistant administered should give us a bit of insight into your cramping problem." Brooke breathed a sigh of relief and Dr. Stanwell smiled, "Is this your first child?"

Brooke smiled pleasantly at the old man and shook her head, "Well, this is my first baby, but I have two daughters at home, Sam and Jenny." She turned her head toward Jake whose smile had grown tenfold when she called Jenny her own; she winked at him and he shook his head in awe.

A few seconds later, the medical assistant popped her head into the room, "Dr. Stanwell," she glanced at Brooke and Jake and frowned, "We have the test results back."

He nodded and took the file from her hands, "Thank you, Miss Ross." She nodded and exited, shooting one more glance toward the couple as she fled from the room.

Brooke gripped Jake's hand more tightly, her eyes watching the doctor's facial expressions closely as her read through her file. He glanced up at her with a reassuring smile, "Mrs. Davis, when did you say you took the home pregnancy test?"

Her expression grew into one of confusion, "Um, three weeks ago…it was a Thursday. Is, is something wrong?"

He frowned, "I don't want to alarm you, but the blood test came back negative."

Jake glanced up, "What does that mean, Doctor?"

Dr. Stanwell looked down for a moment, "I'd like to do a few more tests along with a sonogram if that's all right with you?"

Brooke nodded mutely as the doctor left the room, her left hand held tightly to her flat stomach. Her eyes met Jake's and one tear fell down her flushed cheek, "I knew something was wrong…"

"Nothing's wrong. You're worrying about nothing."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Where is she?!"

Haley groaned and turned toward the pregnant blond for the third time in the last five minutes, "Brooke will be here; she's just going to be a little late. Calm down!"

"It's just…I need to talk to her."

"She'll be here.

Haley sighed and checked her phone for the twentieth time as Peyton walked away; Brooke had promised to show up as soon as the appointment was over, but it had been over an hour and she had still received no call filling her in on what the doctor had to say.

Peyton frowned, angry at Brooke for not being here to help set up for the party like she promised. She sat down on the couch, her eyes making a sweep of the room she'd helped Haley decorate for the baby shower, and though she knew that it didn't look as good as it would have had her best friend kept her promise and helped, she was proud. There were pink and purple balloons everywhere, and Haley had set up several games throughout the room.

"Well, this party's kind of a drag."

Peyton glanced up into her ex boyfriend's grinning face and rolled her eyes, "That's because it hasn't started yet."

He shrugged and sat next to her, throwing his arm on the back of the couch behind her head, "Have you seen Brooke today? We had another fight this morning and I just want to make sure that's okay."

Peyton shook her head and leaned against him, "Nope. She promised she would come early today and help us set up, but she never showed." She tilted her head, "What did you guys fight about this time?"

"Jake."

"Again?"

He nodded, "She spends **all** her time with him lately." He lowered his head and sighed loudly, "I feel like she isn't even pretending to be mine anymore."

She sighed sympathetically and laid her hand on his knee and leaned closer to him, her lips near his ear, "I'm sorry, Jules…Have you told her you're going back to LA?"

He shook his head, his eyes sad, "I can't…I can't say goodbye to her yet."

Peyton turned her head and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, not noticing the two pairs of eyes watching them.

From across the room, Haley watched them with fire in her eyes. She shook her head and muttered to herself, "First Brooke and Jake…now Peyton and Julian. These people need to get their lives sorted."

"You're right…they do."

Haley turned and wrapped her arms around her husband, who smiled down at her pleasantly. She ran her hand down the side of his face, kissing him softly, "You know, the part doesn't start for another twenty minutes."

She raised her eyebrow playfully and he picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder and heading toward the stairs, laughing at her giggles. He dropped her on the bed, hovering over her to place soft kisses along her jaw line, "I love you…Let's never be like them."

She nodded, "Never."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Lucas shook his head angrily as he watched the way Peyton was fawning all over Julian because he knew that all the casual touching, all the secret smiles and winks, meant something. He tapped his foot as he watched them, growing angrier by the minute. He watched as his fiancé kissed the producer, slight jealousy burning in his chest. He stormed out of the room, knocking a few of the party favors off of one of the end tables. He scratched the back of his neck, as he always did when he was worried about something, and sat on one of the stools in the kitchen.

For nearly a month, he and Peyton had been having problems, and for the last three weeks she'd been turning to Julian instead of Brooke to help her solve her problems. And for those three weeks, Lucas had been truly alone, unable to talk to Nathan and Haley because of their deep commitment to both Brooke and Peyton. And he couldn't tell the dynamic duo about his problems – they were the cause! Lucas Scott had no one to turn to, except for his computer. He'd written over two hundred pages in those three weeks, but he knew he could never publish it, not after the way that Peyton had reacted to it when she'd found it on his computer this morning.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_Peyton shook her head, her gaze hateful, "What the Hell, Lucas? 'The Red Door?' Your next damn book is called the fucking __**Red Door**__?!"_

_Luke sighed, "Peyt…"_

"_I know you kissed her."_

_His gaze dropped the floor and she waited for his denial…there was none._

"_How could you kiss her? My best friend?! Do you love her? Just be honest with me __**for once**__!"_

"_I don't know, Peyton…Are you in love with Julian?"_

_She glared, "We've already been through this, I love…"_

"_Stop lying!" Her eyes widened and he took a step away from her, "You've been sneaking out of the house almost every night, going to his hotel…don't act like I'm the only one who's guilty of deceit."_

"_Nothing happened! It's just…you barely look at me, and you only speak to me to ask if the baby is okay. Julian…Julian cares – when's the last time you gave a rat's ass about how my day was? I bet you can't remember, can you?"_

_He lowered his eyes to the ground, "No, I can't…"_

_She glanced toward the computer screen, his face devoid of all emotion, "The red door was painted black years ago, Luke. Grow up…we're having a child. There's no time for petty jealousies or pathetic high school heartbreaks. I love you…but I can't take much more of this." She grabbed her purse and headed for the door, "Julian said he would drive me to Haley's…don't be late."_

_And the last thing he heard was the slam of the door as his fiancé walked into the arms of her best friend's boyfriend. He sighed and sat at his computer, his eyes unfocused as they gazed upon the screen. He ran his fingers along the words on the screen and let another sigh escape his lips._

"…_I love her." _

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Lucas shook himself of his reverie as the house began filling with guests. He asked himself silently why they had decided to have the men at the baby shower because, at that moment, he would rather have been anywhere but here.

He walked back into the living room; his eyes darkened at the sight of Peyton and Julian hugging, their fingers entangled as if they were lovers. He shook his head as he had many times already that day and grabbed his jacket, storming out of the house.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"…I'm so sorry Mr. and Mrs. Davis, but conception at this point is ill-conceived and improbable."

Brooke's face fell at the doctor's words and she collapsed into Jake's arms, no longer able to hold herself upright, clutching his shirt as if he was the only thing keeping her grounded. Tears were falling down his cheeks as well as he listened to the doctor drone on and on, using terms the single father had never heard in his twenty-three years of life, and he tried his hardest to catch every word, knowing that he'd have to repeat most of this conversation back to Brooke once she was calm enough to hear it; if it was even possible for her to ever be calm enough for that. And as he gazed upon the woman he'd always viewed as strong, he felt himself finally knowing the true Brooke Davis; all her insecurities and splintered pieces of her heart lay open and exposed on that hospital bed. All her dreams lay shattered and unfixable in the image of a blank sonogram.

He couldn't quite wrap his mind around the concepts that the doctor was throwing at them. Several words caught his attention though, and he memorized them, knowing he'd have to use them later when he explained to Brooke why she wasn't ever going to have a baby of her own, why she was never going to have the family of which she'd dreamed: the little girl with beautiful dimples and dark curls; a girl who had her mother's smile and her father's eyes, whatever color they happened to be.

But he listened to the words anyway, the wrongness of this loss tearing at his heart. Because even though he would not have been the father of her child, he mourned with her. Mourned as the doctor fed him meaningless words explaining the loss, trying to make it more bearable, more understandable…and failing:

_**Miscarriage. Infertile. **_

_**Blank sonogram. Blood tests. **_

_**Blunt trauma. Ovarian scarring.**_

Jake wiped at his eyes, holding his best friend closer to him as her sobs shook her entire body, "Doctor…how could something like this happen? I just don't understand…"

"Your wife's body was simply too weak to sustain childbirth, and so her body treated the fetus as it would any other harmful substance, it aborted the fetus in order to save itself. I'm very sorry for your loss…"

His usually calm exterior broke and he had to gasp for breath, "And what about the future? Can she..?"

Dr. Stanwell sighed quietly, "Sometimes blunt trauma to the abdomen can cause ovarian scarring, which, in this case, makes it improbable that your wife will ever have children. The scarring is very extensive; the left ovary is undoubtedly unusable, and the right ovary is not in much better condition. This is not to say that you **can't** get pregnant, but there is a 99 percent chance that even if she does manage to get pregnant again, she will lose** that** baby as well." Jake choked back more tears and held Brooke's shaking form more tightly against him, "I wish I had better news."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Everyone in the room glanced up at the smiling brunette when her phone rang again, the tone piercing the calm in the room. Haley smiled sheepishly at Peyton and stood, "Sorry, Peyt. I'll be right back."

Peyton nodded and went back to talking to Mia and a few of her friends about all the gifts they'd gotten for her and the baby. The blond smiled down at the assortment of little dresses she'd received that morning in the mail from Karen. And though Lucas had assured her that his mother had **wanted** to be there, and would have been if it were possible, she was not quite convinced.

She sighed and shoved the box of dresses under another package of clothes, her grin growing as she glanced at the gift from Mia. Peyton grinned and hugged the little Italian girl when she came face to face with a guitar costume; everyone in the room laughed and gave Mia a questioning look.

Mia shrugged, "Halloween."

A few minutes later Haley reentered the room with tears in her eyes, sitting in the chair furthest away from the party. She watched Peyton gush about all the baby clothes she'd received, unable to catch onto any of the little conversations going on around her. Her mind was filled with one sentence which seemed to be set in instant replay. She took a shaky breath and forced a smile for Peyton's sake; the fallacy in her eyes being noticed by no one.

"_Brooke lost the baby..."_

**TBC…**


	21. Collide

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **So I completely deviated from what my original plans for this chapter were. But after speaking to my Lelina friend, I realized that there were some issues with which I had to deal before I moved on to what I had planned. In a chapter or two, I should be using Bert's and Shannon's ideas – so keep a look out for that!

Thanks to everyone who has been reading, from the people who have been reading since the first update, to the people who just started a week or two ago! I really appreciate all the extended support – you all mean so much to me; there would be no story without you. There are two girls to whom I want to dedicate this chapter; you girls mean the world to me.

**:~Dedications~:**

*Lelina*

*Tiffizzle*

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**Chapter 21: Collide **

"_Brooke lost the baby..."_

Haley sat completely still, her heart pounding painfully against her ribcage as she attempted to fake smiles and laughter for Peyton's sake. She observed the overly joyful giggles as the girls cooed over the dozens of baby dresses and toys, and she found herself wondering idly why the bottle blond had yet to ask the real reason behind her supposed best friend's absence. She ran her fingers through her hair, exhaling a shaky breath. She stands, her eyes meeting Peyton's as she gestures toward the kitchen. The blond smiled genially as the young mother hurried from the room, her fake smile still in place.

Haley looked around the room, searching for either Nathan or Lucas as her false smile slid from her face and was replaced with a grim look, but they both seemed to have disappeared. She sat down on one of the stools as she fought to keep herself grounded; tears prickled behind her eyes and she inhaled deeply, the air burning in her lungs as a sob escaped her lips. She covered her mouth as she tried to hold her emotions back. She lowered her head and covered her face with her hands as the tears began falling full force down her cheeks.

She couldn't escape the words that Jake had uttered in that one short phone call; no matter how hard she tried to forget them, her heart wouldn't let her. She was stuck in a loop of repetitive words and endless tears. She bit down hard on her lip as the tears continued to fall down her flushed cheeks. Her heart was breaking in a way it had never been broken before because she knew that even though Jake hadn't said the words aloud, the finality in his statement let her know that Brooke's future would be forever altered. And Haley knew from the way he'd gasped for breath when he said the words, that _"she lost the baby"_ also meant, _"she'll never have one."_

She wiped at her tears as she sat up straighter, her eyes landing on a picture of Brooke holding Jamie when he was just a baby. Haley smiled at the sight of her son's big blue eyes staring up at his god mother in awe as she coddled him, her dimpled grin intoxicating to even a baby. Brooke's hair was still extremely long then, and it fell in waves down her back framing her face in a way that reminded Haley of an angel; pure innocence shining in the teenage girl's smile as she held the baby.

Haley bit her lip and choked back tears as realization hit her: Brooke would never hold her own baby like that. She would never know the joy and intimacy of carrying a child or that feeling of relief when the sound of his or her first cries pierces the air. Her child would never share her features: big dimples, contagious grin, or hauntingly beautiful hazel eyes.

Haley sighed quietly, running her fingers through her wavy hair as she gazed at the picture again. She reached across the counter and grabbed her house phone, glancing toward the living room for a moment before she began dialing the familiar number. She taped her nails repetitively against the counter as she listened to the unhurried rings, debating just scrapping this idea and hanging up.

She sighed and reached for the 'end' button as the familiar voice suddenly picked up, "Hello?"

Her pulse quickened slightly and she glanced toward the living room again, "I need someone to talk to…Meet me at the studio in ten?"

She heard the hesitant sigh, and she felt like she could almost see him shaking his head, a grin plastered on his face, "Sure, Hales. Ten minutes."

The phone went dead, and she stood, writing a quick note for anyone who would need to reach her. She grabbed her purse and headed out the back door so as to avoid Peyton's gaze, guilt marring her brow as she hops into her car and drives away.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Lucas groaned as he tossed the ball toward the net, his technique not changing from the hundred or so other times he'd done it before. He threw his hands up in frustration when he missed, the ball bouncing off the backboard and landing a few feet away from him; he picked the ball back up and chucked it as hard as he could, with eye closed, to his left, not noticing the figure standing there.

"Whoa, man. Way to try and take my head off."

The blond turned, his eyes meeting those of his brother, who was now holding the basketball, "What do you want, Nathan?"

Nathan shrugged and tossed the ball back to his brother, "You left the house so quickly that I was half convinced there'd been some sort of emergency." He glances around, his blue eyes shining in the sunlight, "But here you are…sucking at basketball." He raises an eyebrow at his brother, "So, do I have to guess what's bothering you or are you going to tell me?"

"Love. Love is bothering me."

Nathan smirked and rolled his eyes, "What, being caught between the hearts of two different women isn't your dream?"

"I'm not…"

"Don't lie to me…or yourself for that matter."

Luke groaned and aimed for the basket before letting the ball roll off his fingers. He held his breath as he muttered the words, "Peyton Sawyer's the one for me."

The ball completely missed the basket, landing only a few inches away from Nathan. The younger brother smiled sympathetically, "Or not?"

"Do you remember the night of the fantasy boy draft?"

Nate nodded, laughing quietly, "Haley and I were still not back together, but we had a double date with Brooke and Chris Keller. And you were with Rachel that night."

The blond nodded, gazing up at the basket, "Rachel and I came here that night…"

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_The redhead looked annoyed at his constant flow of words about Brooke. She sighed, "Okay, take your shirt off."_

_He glanced at her, hesitant and uncomfortable, "Rachel…"_

_She rolled her eyes, "I'm not gonna touch you, you sissy virgin boy. I'm trying to make a point." She gave him a look, letting him know he had no choice, "Take your shirt off."_

_He laughed with a roll of his eyes and did as she ordered, handing the blue t-shirt over to her, looking both amused and confused by her actions._

_She raised her eyebrow and grinned, "All right. You say Brooke's the one, your soul mate. Well, if that's the case," She threw her arms around him from behind, looking at him flirtatiously, "call upon destiny or providence or whatever forces are gonna bring you two together," he laughed at her and shook his head, "and make the shot…blindfolded."_

_She tied the shirt around his eyes, listening to him laugh. He shook his head, "This is ridiculous."_

_She walked a few feet away from him, "Come on. It's your destiny; you can't miss. Okay, can you see me?"_

_She started dancing goofily in front of him, looking for any sort of reaction. When there was none, she was forced to believe him, "Okay, I trust you. Now follow my voice. Brooke's the one. Make the shot."_

_And he did. The ball flew from his hands and the sight was almost poetic; the ball gliding through the air and landing perfectly in the net. _

_He quickly untied the shirt and looked around, "What happened?!"_

"_It went in." He took the blindfold off to see a shirtless Rachel holding the ball, "Nice shot."_

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Luke sighed and sat on the bleachers, staring at the basket, "I haven't even made one basket since I've been here…I don't understand any of this. I love Peyton; we're having a baby. Why do I feel like this now?"

The younger man sat down on the bleachers next to his brother, "There's a reason you came to **this** place." He gestures down to the bottom rung of the bleachers, his gaze soft. Sitting there amongst the overgrown weeds lay the picture of Brooke and Lucas, their arms wrapped tightly around each other as they danced at Nathan and Haley's wedding. "There's a reason why you can't let her go…the same reason this picture didn't float away with the rest. And it's the same reason you can't make the shot…figure it out, man, before you lose her."

Nathan stood and headed for his car, giving his brother a quick nod before driving away, feeling the need to speak to his wife.

Luke stood as well, taking the ball in his hands. He glanced at the hoop and smiled softly, "Brooke Davis is the one."

He closed his eyes and let the fall roll off his fingers, silence consuming him. He opened his blue eyes just in time to see the ball hit the ground.

"It went in…Nice shot."

His jaw dropped in shock at the sight of the redhead, "Rachel…what are you doing here?"

She frowned, "I'm not staying. I just…Brooke's birthday just passed and I wanted to…Will you give her this?"

She handed him an ornately covered box, and he quickly nodded, not really sure how he felt about her being back, even if it was just for a quick visit. She turned to walk away but turned back slowly, "She would have given you anything, Lucas. Don't let her down…not like I did."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Peyton laughed as she and Mia started picking up the boxes and bags filled with baby clothes and toys, not having noticed how much stuff she actually received. She glanced around the mostly empty room, having just realized that Brooke never showed up and Haley never came back from the kitchen. She sighed and entered the kitchen, finding it, too, empty. And she exited the room, she completely missed the note sitting on the table, written in Haley's script, "_Had a work emergency – be home soon._"

She shook her head and walked back into the living room, confused as to where her two best friends were. A smile suddenly spread across her face when she glanced at the love seat, her eyes falling on the jacket there. She shook her head with a grin and picked it up, vowing to return it to Julian before she headed home that evening.

She sat with the beige jacket in her lap, her smile unfading as she thought of him. If someone had told her a few months ago, when he first arrived in Tree Hill, that they would go from lovers to enemies to confidants, she would have laughed in his or her face. She ran her finger along the stitching of the jacket, her mind thinking of just how much he'd been there for her these last few weeks. And she'd done her best to be there for him too, helping him deal with Brooke's mood swings and all the fights caused by them.

She leaned back into the softness of the seat as she thought of what he'd said about Brooke and Jake spending so much time together. Part of her was jealous that he wanted to spend so much time with the bubbly brunette, but another, bigger, part of her was aware that 'someday' was never going to happen for them. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking of the kiss she and Jake had shared, the guilt sparking within her again as she realized that, had someone other than Brooke been aware of what they'd done, her relationship with Lucas may have ended.

She smiled and waved at Mia innocently when the small Italian girl gave her a scorching glare for not helping her move boxes. She pouted at the girl like a child and winked, "I'm pregnant…"

Mia glared but conceded, grabbing another box on her way out. Peyton's smile faded when she noticed the doll house Sam and Brooke had picked out. She glared at it, her eyes filled with hate as they narrowed on the little red door. She thought of Lucas's new book and stood, glaring down at the toy house. She shook her head and grabbed a box, rushing out of the house, leaving the toy behind.

She gave Mia a fake smile, "Come on, Catalano. You get to help me sort this stuff."

Mia groaned and rolled her eyes, following the older woman out to the car, "I should be getting paid for this!"

Both girls looked up when a car pulled into the driveway and Nathan stepped out. He smiled pleasantly at both girls, "Hey, is Hales in there cleaning up?"

The two girls exchanged a look before Peyton spoke up, "Uh, no. She left a little bit ago."

Nathan frowned and headed for the door, "Okay, thanks…"

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Haley sat there nervously at the piano, chewing on her thumb nail. She heard a chuckle behind her and she spun around quickly, her eyes meeting those of the man she'd called.

"You still bite your nails when you're nervous. You haven't changed at all."

She smiled, "Ah, Chris Keller, it's been too long." She stood and pulled him into a hug, feeling completely comfortable all of a sudden, all guilt ebbing away to nothingness.

Chris smiled and squeezed her tightly before stepping back, holding her at arms length. He took in the complete sight of her, grinning appreciatively, "You look beautiful, Hales."

She blushed for the first time in a long time, not really sure why she felt so nervous all of a sudden, "Thanks."

An awkward silence took over the room and she bit her lip, feeling guilty again for calling him. He raised his eyebrow at her, "Does your husband know you wanted to rendezvous with Chris Keller?"

Haley rolled her eyes, though he was correct in his assumptions that Nathan had no idea, "Shut up, Chris."

He chuckled and sat at the piano, his fingers playing a calming rhythm as he spoke, "So, what does the infamous Haley James want with little old me?"

"Scott." He smirked at the automatic correction of her last name, nostalgia biting at him as he remembered just how often he'd said her name incorrectly for the simple pleasure of being able to fight with her about it afterward, "And I called you because of Brooke."

His face suddenly became serious, starling her slightly, "Why? What happened? Is she okay?"

She shook her head, her eyes sad and filled with tears, "I don't know if she's going to be okay. Losing a child is…"

Chris's eyes went wide, "What? Brooke was pregnant?"

She frowned, "I thought…I thought you knew. I wouldn't have called if I…"

She noticed his far away expression, the sadness in his indigo eyes eating away at her. He glanced up at her and their eyes met, fire burning in his, "How long?"

"Almost a month…"

His gaze dropped again, "Why didn't she say anything? I would have…would have done something to help."

"Chris…" His eyes met hers again and she sighed sadly, resting her hand on his shoulder comfortingly, "She's gonna need us now more than ever…"

He nodded, his eyes downcast as Haley pulled him into another hug, and he rested his head on her shoulder, "I've missed you, Hales."

"Me too."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Jake lay next to her, his fingers brushing through her hair slowly, neither really moving much. She had stopped crying over an hour ago, but he hadn't left her side once, knowing that she could start up again at any moment.

They both smiled slightly at the sound of her stomach growling, and he sat up, "You want something to eat?" He starts to stand, "I can make you something? Eggs? Spaghetti?"

Brooke grabs his arm before he can go too far, and he turns toward her, "Yeah, what do you…"

His eyes widened when her lips were suddenly on his. He fell into the kiss for a moment before he pulled back, his hands gripping her arms tightly, "Brooke! What are you doing?"

She was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly with each ragged breath, "I want you."

"Brooke…"

"I need to forget, Jake…I need you to want me. Just for tonight."

She tilted her head and placed a soft kiss on his lips as his grip on her arms lessened. His right hand tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss, all thoughts of anything bad or hard disappearing from both of their minds. She gripped his shoulders tightly, her nails biting into his skin through his shirt.

She lowered her hands, trying to unbutton his shirt as he kissed lazily down her neck. She quickly shoved the shirt from his shoulders, running her hands over the smooth flesh of his chest, gently scratching him with her nails. He grinned and pulled her in for another kiss, his fingers traveling underneath her shirt, barely grazing her flat stomach. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her chest and she pulled her shirt over her head, smiling at him seductively.

He paused for a moment to catch his breath, his heart beating rapidly in his chest, "You're so beautiful…" She bit his bottom lip gently, touching every exposed part of his body.

She smiled down at him, her eyes mischievous but lost, "Touch me."

**TBC…**


	22. Insomnia A

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **Alright, so I've been trying to find a clever way for these much needed conversations to happen…but I fail. Haha. Please let me know what you think; I've been feeling very uninspired these days, so any ideas or hopes you have for the story would be very much appreciated!

And please review, even if it's just to ask for an update (or to tell me I suck). Your words are what keep me going. Thanks guys!

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**Chapter 22 A: Insomnia**

She sat before the mirror with a soft frown on her face, staring at her quickly darkening hair. She twirled a strand around her fingers, her frown deepening when the hair untangled itself immediately, straightening as it fell before her eyes. She examined herself in the reflection, noting the rapidly growing baby bump. She ran her left hand over her right arm, frowning at its thickness, at the way her own body felt almost foreign to her after twenty-three years of inhabiting it.

"Peyton, what are you doing?"

Her head shot up, and her eyes met Lucas' through the glass, and she found herself wandering into the depths of his eyes, as if trying to memorize every detail of the stormy blues. She gave him a half smile before glancing back at her reflection, staring into her own eyes, admiring the shiny, translucent green color in respect to his bright blue ones.

Her eyes shot back to study Lucas's face, and she found herself frowning at the stubble along his chin and cheeks, missing the smoothness she remembered from high school. Her eyes lowered to examine his body, finding him as flawless and beautiful as she remembered, but when she looked at him now, her entire body no longer lit up with anticipation and lust. Now when she gazed at him, she saw the flaws she once used to pretend didn't exist. The way he slouched when he walked, the way his eyes squinted when he was thinking, and the way his eyes lit up every time she mentioned her best friend, those were all indicators that something was wrong, and she now found herself standing between two roads: denial and acceptance.

She could deny that her fiancé was in love with someone else. She could deny that she'd truly fallen for the rebound guy and say that Julian didn't mean a thing to her after all these months. She could deny the guilt she felt every time she gazed upon Jake and saw distrust in his eyes, a feeling for which she was responsible. She could even deny the words her doctor had spoken to her at her last appointment, the words that would change everything between herself and Lucas, maybe even ruin them. Of course she knew that with denial, her happiness would be nothing but a common fallacy, but acceptance could lead to the end of all her dreams, dreams that lay right at her fingertips.

_Or_, she thought silently to herself, _I can finally accept things as they are and either fix them or move on from them. Accept that my relationship with Lucas is drawing to a close after years of yearning: his new novel and my doctor's news about the baby pretty much insuring an end to this love story._

"Peyton?"

She jumped slightly and turned around to face him, "Sorry, Luke. I just got a little caught in my thoughts."

"Care to explain?" he asked softly, lifting Julian's beige jacket off of their bed, his eyes glaring at the piece of cloth like it was diseased.

Peyton raised her eyebrow challengingly and stood, walking over to the closet. She reached inside and pulled a shoebox out, "Do you?"

Lucas' face fell almost instantly, recognizing the box as the one Brooke had given him in their senior year of high school; the assortment of multicolored envelopes stared at him almost sardonically, and his eyes scanned over the box as if he were trying to find some imperfection in its cardboard exterior. There were eighty-two letters in that box; all mocking him with the fact that the girl who wrote them was no longer his, that the girl he loved was giving her heart away to someone else, and that the girl to whom he'd given his heart wasn't the girl he wanted to spend his forever with. _'True love always' be damned_, he thought.

"Peyton…"

"Don't." She shook her head quickly and held out her hand to him, holding back his words and vapid explanations, "It's fine, Luke. I've known that they were in here for a while now…I was just too scared to point it out before. Too scared to admit the truth."

Lucas frowned, his eyes straining as the blue lightened slightly, "What truth?"

"The only truth there is…that you love Brooke. That you love my best friend."

She expected him to deny it or maybe shake his head as the defiance of his feelings ate at his consciousness, and, when he didn't, she found herself feeling disappointed, hoping that there was at least a small part of him that loved her enough to refute what she was saying. She let out a shaky breath as the seconds ticked away, silence burning the room with its resilience.

"…I found them a few weeks ago," she glanced down, mindful of her next words, "after Julian told me about the kiss…"

"What kiss?"

"Don't patronize me, Lucas. He saw you kiss her. My **best** friend!" Her eyes softened with tears, "And I know we already talked about this, but I can't get the image of that kiss out of my head! She's my best friend, and you…You said I was the one, your soul mate. What changed?"

"Everything. Everything changed. Hell, **we** changed."

She took a step toward him, her eyes inquisitive and scared. She tilted her head as more tears entered her eyes, her lips falling open silently for a moment before she spoke the dreaded question, "Then, why'd you call me that day at the airport? I mean, things were so messed up between us, and I felt so lost. Every hope I'd ever had of being with you seemed to shatter before my very eyes. And then you called and asked me to marry you, and suddenly things made sense again…at least for me. I need to know why, Luke. If things are so different, if we're so different, then why did you pick me in that moment?"

He released a sigh, letting himself fall back onto the bed so that he didn't have to look directly at her when he spoke his next sentence, "Because…you loved me back."

He sat up slowly when she didn't respond for several minutes, his eyes imploring and apologetic, "I know it was wrong for me to kiss Brooke, and I'm so sorry, Peyton, that I did something so hurtful to you. I never meant to hurt anyone, especially not you. I know that you would never have done something like that to me…"

A laugh bubbled behind her lips, silencing his next words, the sound bitter and heartbroken. He looked at her in confusion, shaking his head slightly. His eyes went wide as another laugh escaped her pink lips along with a confession, "I kissed Jake."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"I know."

The dimpled brunette took a step back, running her fingers through her hair as she stared confused into her boyfriend's probing gaze. She sat noiselessly at the kitchen counter, twirling her fingers like a child waiting for her punishment. She glanced up into Julian's face, seeing more acceptance than anger or hurt in his chocolate eyes. She slid her hand along the counter, reaching for his, but he quickly pulled away before their skin could touch, his eyes filled with guilt of their own.

"Julian…I'm sorry it happened, I am. I just wanted to be honest with you. I didn't kiss him back though, I swear."

He shrugged, looking directly into her eyes, his face a mask of indifference, "Yes you did, and it's okay. You and Lucas have a lot of history; I can understand that." He glanced down, his mind wandering to a certain green-eyed blond, thinking of the many times their lips had nearly met this last month as their friendship began expanding into something stronger. _But_, he thought to himself, _at least __**we**__ stopped ourselves before anything happened._ He looked back up at her, his eyes soft with understanding, though if one looked deeper, they would see the deep-rooted hurt lurking behind the murky brown, "I don't blame you, Brooke. I get it."

She shook her head, the soft waves of her hair bouncing lightly on her shoulders, and her eyes darkened with anger that even she was unaware that she felt, "No, clearly you don't get it, Julian! Lucas was just…getting cold feet about the wedding – **you** are who I want to be with, not Lucas. He and I had our chance in high school, and it didn't work; and do you know why?" He raised his eyebrow and threw his hands in the air as a sort of surrender, and she continued, her voice soft and placid, "We didn't work because we weren't meant to. Lucas and I are not meant to be together; it's that simple." There was a certain sadness in her words, a certain finality that made her insides twist and turn, but she carried on, knowing that without these words, without giving up all hope for a future with anyone but Julian, she would surely lose everything for which she'd fought, "We're just friends, nothing more. Why is it so hard for you to see that?"

Julian glanced away from her and pulled something from his pocket. Brooke's eyes went wide with shock when he pushed the crumpled letter across the counter, letter eighty-six from her 'sad box of Lucas,' "Tell me again that I'm the one for you. Tell me that you kept the letters simply because you forgot about them. Tell me that you spending all your time with Jake means nothing. Tell me. Tell me lies, Brooke, because I fear if you tell me the truth…we're gonna end. So please, please tell me that Lucas isn't the person you want to spend your forever with or Jake. Tell me, and I'm yours."

She swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat as her mind shifted not to the kiss with Lucas on the River Court, but rather to that moment with Jake the night she found out about the baby, the night all her dreams shattered around her. She blinked back tears and slid the letter away from her, taking Julian's hands in hers. She traced each of his fingers with hers, admiring the beauty of his touch, remembering the site of his tears after the botched proposal. She lifted his hand to her lips, barely kissing his fingertips, her gaze sad, haunting even, "I have to tell you something…and I'm scared of your reaction."

He sighed, stroking her cheek with the same fingertips she had just been kissing. And in his mind, this was a farewell, "Tell me."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"It was a little over a month ago…right after he left Brooke's place and started staying with his parents again," her eyes traced his face as she spoke, watching the different emotions play across his features. She looked down at his hands which were clenched tightly on the table as if he were trying to hold in his deep anger, and she felt as if her heart would shatter at the look of distaste he sent her way. She continued anyway, knowing that if she didn't get this out in the open now that she had the chance, the truth in the thoughts she was about to reveal would shatter her completely, "He had all these pictures from high school scattered across his kitchen table, and it was like every decision I've ever made about love came crashing down around me. It was like I could suddenly remember every kiss he and I had ever shared, and for a moment I lost myself in it – in those memories of such an innocent love. And I guess I just gave in to that self-doubt…but you know how much I love you, Lucas. You have to know that."

Lucas glanced away from her, staring at the wall as a bitter laugh spilled from his lips, "You mean to tell me that I've been carrying around all this guilt over what happened between Brooke and me…and you kissed Jake because of a couple pictures? That's just great, Peyt."

He began pacing back and forth, running his fingers through his hair as his mind flew in a million directions, and he suddenly realized that he too initiated a kiss because of pictures – pictures that reminded him of the beauty and direction hidden in Brooke's love. He opened his mouth several times to speak, to explain the pain she was causing him and to explain the pain he'd already caused her, but the words continued to elude him as his blue eyes met her green ones in a vicious stare of hurt and anger.

"Luke…you don't get to be mad at me for this! Not when you did the exact same thing…and with my best friend no less!" she slammed her hand down on the table, fury burning through both their gazes as they continued their endless stare.

Finally Lucas dropped his gaze, his eyes once again focusing in on Julian's jacket which he'd laid on the edge of the bed. He swallowed his anger and pride, his eyes never leaving the piece of clothing as he spoke, "But it was just a mistake right?" He glanced back up at her almost accusingly, "I mean, you kissed him once and left? And you regretted it?"

Peyton looked down at the floor, remembering that Jake had been the one to push **her** away, pointing out the obvious reasons that their lips shouldn't meet, and remembering also that she'd told her former love that she didn't care, that it didn't matter to her in that moment that she and Lucas were engaged. Lucas could feel the hesitance in her every action, and he sighed loudly, speaking his next words in a harsh tone, "But no, that isn't how it happened, is it, Peyt? I'm guessing you didn't feel even one ounce of guilt for hurting me, for hurting our baby!"

Peyton's hand moved before her mind even truly made out the words and connected with the side of Lucas's face, leaving a red mark over his tan skin. He looked at her in shock, and she shook her head, not looking the least bit remorseful for her actions.

"Don't you dare!" She yelled, her whole body shaking in anger, "Don't you dare say that my actions hurt **my** baby!"

"**Our** baby!" he corrected, fingers waving through his short tendrils, "Your actions hurt **our** baby."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Peyton let out a long breath, "I'm five months pregnant."

Luke took a step back, squinting in confusion, eyebrows drawing together, "What? No, you're thirteen weeks…"

She shook her head slowly, panic in her beautiful orbs, "I'm not."

"But…we've only been together for four months, Peyton…" His baby blues opened wide, and he took another quick step back, his voice rising in anger and confusion, panic on his tongue, "Who? Who?!"

Her green eyes melted into tears as she looked away from him, her eyes resting on the jacket he'd laid on their bed. Slowly he followed her gaze, his jaw clenching in realization. Peyton closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the explosion she was sure was coming. Tears fell down her creamy cheeks as she opened her eyes, seeing the heartbreak in his gaze.

"That's not my baby?" He looked up at her, calm, almost too calm, "It's Julian's…when?"

She let out a loud breath of air, "You said 'I do' to Lindsey, and I just didn't want to hurt anymore, ya know? So when I heard that Julian was producing a movie nearby, I went to see him. I didn't think there was a chance for us anymore, Luke!"

Lucas laughed bitterly, shaking his head as his eyes glued themselves to her stomach, "You let me believe that this was our child."

"It is, Luke! This baby is as much yours as it is mine…she'll be your daughter whether you share blood or not; you know that." Her fingers ran through her tangled mess of hair, "I didn't do this to hurt you, you need to believe that. I thought she was yours until I got the ultrasound; I never even considered the possibility of her being Julian's..never."

Luke bit his lip and looked away, "Where do we go from here?"

**To be continued in Part B!**


	23. When You Say Goodbye, Say it like a Lie

**Disclaimer:** I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

**AN: **Hey guys, I know it's been… longer than forever! I lost all inspiration for this story a while back, and I really hated that I couldn't even give those of you who were still reading an ending. I've recently started writing again but I still have no inspiration for this so I've decided to write an ending instead. I tried to close up any and all loose ends, but it's possible I may have missed some things. I hope you enjoyed this story before it kind of died. Thanks so much for all your support – and sorry again for taking so long to finish this for you guys.

Love you for reading and reviewing – you guys are the best readers ever!

Kasey

**Chapter 23: When you say goodbye, say it like a lie**

"It's funny. If you had told me two months ago that this is how my life would have ended up, I'd have called you a liar. It's kind of surreal."

"Not really," Chris smiled and sidled up to the girl, his arm dropping onto her shoulder as they both gazed out the window, "I mean you got the guy, the kid, the amazing and sexy as fuck best friend," Brooke giggled at that, digging her elbow into his side, "it's kind of perfect. And it's definitely what you deserve."

Brooke looked up at him, a quick grin sliding over her face as she lifted up onto her toes to give him a light kiss on the cheek, "You're too sweet sometimes, you know that?"

"Chris Keller is many amazing things," he countered, nudging her and tightening his arm.

"I'm glad you're back, by the way. That month you were gone felt like forever."

"I know," he frowned, "I told Haley I'd help her get a hold of my old music producer and he insisted I write three new songs and have them recorded before I came back."

Silence fell for several minutes, Brooke fingering a hole in his jacket, "Peyton called me this morning from LA. She and Julian are all settled in."

Chris made a face of distaste, never a huge fan of the fashion designer's former beau, "How is he dealing with the fact that he's gonna be a dad?"

"Freaking. Majorly," a laugh escaped her and she shook her head, "Peyt says that they've decided to get a three bedroom apartment together. They're not even sure if they're going to be together, but they know that they want this to go as smoothly as possible for the baby."

The musician looked over hesitantly, "And Lucas?"

"He's better," she admitted, nodding slowly, "I know I haven't talked about him at all, and it's not because I'm still hung up on what happened. Things are just strange with us. He apologized for the kiss and everything else that happened between us, but it still just feels like it's hanging over us. We need some time apart before we can fix our friendship. Besides," she glanced over, brow raised, "Haley told me he ran off to New York in an attempt to win Lindsey back. Something tells me he won't be back for a while."

Chris nodded, "I guess it's kind of like Haley and Nathan, huh?"

"Kind of… how did you pull that off, by the way?"

The boy shrugged, "I just reminded Haley that music was something she loved and that her family could always go with her. Luckily for me, Nathan agreed and didn't fight it since I wouldn't be on tour with her. And the rugrat was super excited."

"I bet Rachel is glad you stayed," she giggled when he shot her a pointed look and she shrugged, "Oh come on, as if she wasn't going to tell me what happened between you two once we were talking again. She seems to think you guys really hit it off."

"I guess we did. Who know Chris Keller would get the girl?"

"As long as it's not my girl," a new voice spoke, Jake stepping in with a happy smile when his eyes met Brooke. "Hey, there."

Brooke smiled back, walking into his arms, "Hey back."

"You two are sickening, I hope you know that," the musician whined, covering his eyes, "what if the children see?"

"Sam took Jenny to my parents for the day," Jake shrugged, giving his friend a grin, "Glad you're back, man. It didn't feel right without you here to finish off our trio."

"You know me," Chris shrugged, a twinkle in his eye, "Chris Keller's work here is never truly done."

The end!

AN: I know this is super short and probably not a worthy ending to this story, but I figure it's better to give you guys some sort of ending than to just forget about it. THANKS AGAIN!


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